The Last of Them
by Ashlight11
Summary: The Last Hope? No.Just no.For the last book in the series,the battle fell short of my expectations for this great series that has taken over my entire household. This is my version of the Last Hope's final battle, and I promise: it will make sense, scores will be settled, and the bodies will fall as the Clans battle for their right to the lake and life. No garenteed winner as well
1. Fight for the Lake

**A.N: Bare with me, These characters don't belong to me, neither does the plot, rated T for character death, blood and general warrior-ness.**

"It's time," Firestar meowed. "I trust you to do whatever you must to save our Clan." His gaze flicked to Smokefoot. "To save _all _the Clans."

Brambleclaw stepped forward. "Berrynose, Thornclaw, and Spiderleg, go as fast as you can to ShadowClan." He ordered, amber eyes gleaming with worry. "You have to fight with them; each Clan must hold their own camp. Whitewing, Hazeltail and Mousewhisker, you must help WindClan." Each of the named cats looked up to their deputy, eyes shining with faith. Without hesitation, they breezed away into the darkness, their pelts already prickling with fear.

Next, the brown tomcat turned his attention to one russet tomcat in particular. "Foxleap! Where are you going?" The youngster skidded to a halt, dust sprouting from his paws as he turned to Brambleclaw. "We'll get to RiverClan before the Dark Forest warriors," he mewed, hesitantly as he looked up. Brambleclaw nodded quickly, and the warrior sped out of camp, accompanied by Rosepetal and Toadstep.

There was a surge in the crowd, and two small shapes pushed their way to the center of the clearing, to stand before the aging ginger tom that was their leader. One was a small she-cat, and the other, a lanky tom, and before the Clan could react they said, "Where should we go first?"

The blatant ambition, but also knowledge that the Clan was in need of their skills made Brambleclaw smile, and he watched one twitch on Firestar's muzzle as well as he nodded. "Molepaw, head for WindClan, then RiverClan. Cherrypaw, go to ShadowClan. Bring back any news you can. We need to know where the Dark Forest strikes first." His voice was quiet, and he looked at the two apprentices with a type of grimness. They were so young, and if the Clans couldn't win, their lives would be short and incomplete.

Poppyfrost let out a small whimper at the back of the crowd of warriors, and pushed forward to meet her kits before they could race off. From where Brambleclaw stood, he could see the moisture in her eyes as she spoke to them. "I know you'll be brave," she lifted her chin a bit, as if she could impose the idea of bravery on the two cats that used to be snuggled up to her side in the nursery. They hadn't come so far from that stage in their life, but this battle was making them grow too fast. "I'm very proud of you, remember that."

Brambleclaw's throat closed slightly. This might be the last time the she-cat would see her kits, but Cherrypaw and Molepaw didn't seem to notice. They touched muzzles with their mother hurriedly, and rushed out, while Poppyfrost took a half step away from where the pair had vanished, a quiet sob escaping her. Sorreltail came up beside her fellow queen and wrapped her tail around Poppyfrost, as if she was just another kit that needed her attention. "They're _warriors_ today. And they will come home as proud as heroes."

Brambleclaw looked away from the intense moment as the two she-cats consoled each other, their mates out in the battle, and Poppyfrost's kits' as well. The patrols had left, but there were still a fair number of cats in the clearing; not as many as the Clan normally stood, but enough to be a formidable force under his gaze. His heart swelled as his clanmates readied for battle, clogging the entrance of the camp with tangles of brambles and readying medicine for the injured. Even Briarlight was doing her part to support the Clan, and the dark tabby could almost burst with pride. ThunderClan would never be destroyed, as long as any of these cats still lived. ThunderClan was the soul and pride of the Clan, not anyone cat, and as long as each one believed that they were a part, the Clan would live on for seasons.

"Graystripe!" He called, jumping down from the rock he had used to gaze out over the cats. The gray warrior was stepping around his clanmates as they hurried about. The poor tom was as old as Firestar, and without the revitalizing energy that StarClan had gifted the leader with, his fur was silver around his muzzle and growing ragged. The old warrior hadn't given up just yet, but Brambleclaw had a feeling that this would be his last battle, one way or another. "Check to make sure that Mousefur and Purdy will be safe." He prompted.

Graystripe nodded, his amber eyes slightly cloudy as he headed over to the elders' den. Firestar shot him an approving glance as he watched the Clan as well. They didn't need guidance from their leaders; each cat knew what to do, and how they could help the Clan. Brambleclaw padded over to Firestar, who had turned from his mentor to his friend in the long seasons they shared together.

"The Dark Forest cats have the upper hand right now," the deputy said as he settled in the dust beside the bright fur of the older tom. Brambleclaw would never admit it, not even to himself, but Firestar seemed stooped with age, his fur thinner and whiskers trembling just a bit. But he nodded just the same. "We must meet the enemy outside of the hollow, you stay in the camp. Choose your patrol." Brambleclaw nodded solemnly, then turned to the Clan, who had fallen to silence at Firestar's words. He really only wanted one cat, one who would be the fire in his heart, that he felt so bad for abandoning and persecuting. The ginger fur and green eyes were as bright as they were when she had been an apprentice, and Squirrelflight met his eyes quickly. Leaping down to the same level, he approached her quietly, with hesitance.

"Will you fight beside me?" He asked quietly, knowing that the sentence meant so much more, asking if she would forgive him for being such a mousebrain since the season he found out that Jayfeather, Lionblaze and Hollyleaf weren't his children. He could see it in her eyes, and they shared a moment when time seemed to slow, and the tom could see exactly what he had done to her. The constant hurt and emptiness that he had felt away from her and her questioning whether he even loved her in the first place…

"Always," she mewed, and stepped forward to touch noses with him. Some cat cheered from the warriors assembled, and some of the younger warriors took it up. For just a moment, there was no battle, no enemies. Just Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight, together again.

"Good," he breathed in her scent and brushed her flank with his tail, just for a second before nodding and leaping back up onto the lower rocks to look out over ThunderClan. Each of the cats were special in their own ways, in order to protect the Clan… "Dustpelt, Bumblestripe, Cinderheart, Cloudtail, Leafpool, Millie and Graystripe, you'll help defend the hollow."

"Graystripe comes with me," Firestar added, switching his gaze from the younger deputy to his old tom.

"Of course." Brambleclaw could understand his leader's need to watch over his childhood friend. He himself glanced around for Thornclaw, before he realized that the golden brown cat was on his way to ShadowClan. With a pang he realized that his sister was in danger, and he had to hold himself still to make sure he wouldn't dash off to the elusive Clan's territory to protect her. His black striped tail stirred the layer of dust along the rocks as Brambleclaw shifted in impatience, his claws scraping down the rock.

"Where do I fight?" A voice called, and the deputy started, looking down to see Lionblaze, whose eyes reflected the power and agitation he felt. Brambleclaw sighed inwardly, seeing how the kits of Leafpool could have been mistaken for his own with their stubbornness and will; happy that he could act as their father for the few seasons that they needed one.

"With me," The ginger tom stood, and the deputy could see how he conducted the Clan, and how everyone could respect the leader, even in his advanced age. "Fight like rogues if you have to, we're fighting for everything that matters. Whatever happens, no cat will forget that the Clans fought first with their hearts and then with their claws." His green eyes burned, and Sandstorm, Cloudtail and Brightheart started the cheer this time. Each of these cats had seen the near-destruction of their home so many times, and had worked through it together. They wouldn't see it fall now, even as the first forest was gone and they had to move. Their time was coming to an end and they would secure the forest for the generations to come as well.

"What about the WindClan and RiverClan patrols?" Smokefoot asked, ears twitching as he glanced into the darkness through the thorn barrier. An eerie battle cry of screeching and caterwauls was rising through the shadows, and Firestar's attention shifted out to the forest. "We don't have time to wait for them."

"Firestar," his mate whispered quietly, stalking up to the leader until she had her muzzle practically in his ear. "This is your last life; you can't risk losing it now. Your Clan needs you." Brambleclaw averted his gaze and pretended he hadn't heard the worried murmuring of the couple. If anything, that would only make him fight harder to keep Firestar's legacy.

"…with Brambleclaw and guard the camp." The brown tabby turned back to his leader as his name was mentioned. Sandstorm's whiskers twitched in amusement, as her mate still attempted to protect her, in the face of imminent danger.

Firestar leapt off the rock, an orange blur as he leapt over the brambles at the entrance with a silent tail signal to the rest of the patrol. Roughly half of the Clan followed him, leaving Brambleclaw with Sandstorm, Hazeltail, Bumblestripe, and a few other warriors.

"Okay, reinforce the nursery and the medicine cat den, that'll be where the most cats will be going during the battle." Brambleclaw started issuing orders efficiently as soon as the leader had disappeared into the shadows. Jayfeather nodded at the command, and murmured to Briarlight before wrestling more brambles off the walls of the hollow.

"Sorreltail," He started again, turning to the tortoiseshell with a frown, "You won't be able to stay with your kits. I'm sorry. But you and Ferncloud will be guarding the nursery."

"I will protect my kits with my life," Sorreltail vowed, ripping at the ground with her claws. Ferncloud laid her tail on her friend's back. "No cat will touch them."

Brambleclaw nodded quickly, and then turned to the warriors in the hollow as rustles and murmurs started in the forest. Leafpool, Squirrelflight, Millie, Brackenfur, and Dustpelt had formed a line in front of the barrier, bristling and muscles locked. He leapt down to join them, just as the first wails were piercing the air, and shadows writhed on the other side of the blocked barrier.

**A.N: Okay! You've suffered through the first chapter, this is where it gets _much_ better than the canon. My brother and I are already writing the list of people dying... and it's long ;D**


	2. A Loss so Great

**A.N: Here's where I start the bloodbath. Now, this is my first time writing hardcore gore, or whatever you can call it, so... Feel free to leave ConCrit on it!**

_The first wails were piercing the air, and shadows writhed on the other side of the blocked barrier._

"Here they come!" Brambleclaw called to the assembled cats of assorted ThunderClan and the ShadowClan patrol. His shoulders hunched as the powerful tabby crouched, and the silver and black striped pelt of Darkstripe, with only a few scratches marring his fur, burst through the barrier.

"Ha, ThunderClan! As predictable as ever." The tom hissed, a smile curling across his muzzle as he slid to a stop before the angry cats. Brambleclaw felt a shiver jolt down his spine, his fur bristling as he took in the sight of the once-dead warrior. His eyes glowed a sickly yellow, like the fire that Brambleclaw had experienced as a kit, and his claws gleamed with light, though a dark fog seemed to accompany the warrior with each threatening step he took forward. "You won't have enough warriors to make a plea to your blessed StarClan after we're through with you." He smirked.

"ThunderClan will fight until there is no cat standing!" Squirrelflight hissed as she launched herself at the semi-transparent enemy. Darkstripe rolled under the impact, and another misty cat broke through the thorn barrier with a yowl; the battle had started inside the camp.

The brown tabby leapt toward Squirrelflight, initially to help her, until the large figure of a red and white spotted tomcat knocked him out of the air with one paw. With a smirk, the tom flicked his paw and pain bloomed on Brambleclaw's face, cutting across his eye. He screeched and rolled away before the cat could gouge it out, and he turned as quickly as he could. The Dark Forest cat was faster though, boxing him over the ears with unsheathed claws, leaving deep furrows on the sensitive flesh behind them. Howling with rage now, he sliced at the red and white tom's chest and forelegs, forcing him back and onto his hind legs. With a quick jab, Brambleclaw nipped his back legs as well and sent him rolling.

His enemy disappeared into the fray, and the tabby shook blood out of his eyes and he shoved forward again to find his mate. The icy sense of battle settled over the deputy of ThunderClan as he fended off any cat that laid their claws on him, some living, while the others were misty with death. More than once, he came upon a Dark Forest cat that had wounds beyond any living cat could go on with, a throat slashed and an eye blinded, but still the cat fought on with all the anger of the sun.

"How…?" He coughed out once, when a Dark Forest she-cat knocked him back onto his stomach, and was taking the time to break his bones instead of cutting open his pelt.

"Oh, we have many tricks, forest scum." She almost purred, and struck downward with one powerful hind leg,; Brambleclaw felt a rib snap under his pelt. "Unfortunately, you won't be around long enough to see them all," She curled her forepaw back, claws extended as she prepared to deal a death blow.

"Get off my mate!" A screech was the only warning the she-cat got before a ball of ginger fury tackled her to the clearing floor, and began ripping out clumps of foggy fur that disappeared before they hit the ground. Brambleclaw scrambled to his paws, wincing as the broken pieces of bones shifted. A gasp found its way past his lips and he blinked to focus the spinning world, then shook his head and sprinted over to Squirrelflight to help her.

Squirrelflight struck down with her teeth, ripping flesh from the she-cat's neck before he could sink his claws into the same area. Brambleclaw felt guilt as he stabbed down, and whatever accounted for blood rush between his claws and splash down the sides of the she-cat's throat. She kept struggling though, and bared her teeth and lashed out at the two cats pinning her.

"You can't defeat us, kittypets!" She hissed and Squirrelflight fell back with a sharp cry of pain. The dark tabby turned for a second to see a slash begin depositing a fair amount of blood to the ground. "Squirrelflight!" But he wouldn't let go of his enemy, and instead, began digging his claws deeper into her throat, opening a thick hole until it looked like his paws were covered in black sludge. But still the she-cat wouldn't die.

She kicked him off and scrambled to her paws, the sight almost making Brambleclaw retch. The undead cat's throat was almost hollow, though her eyes were glazed and her head lolled, the body still quivered with life. The second that Brambleclaw hesitated, it struck with a clawed paw, raking across his muzzle and snapping his head to the side. His eyes were still wide with fear as he turned back to the cat, whose dangling head opened its mouth in a hiss that made him freeze. "You will _never_," the head gurgled, and its tendons snapped and stretched. Black blood splashed out and the cat's head bent down at an impossible angle. "Defeat the Dark Forest." It finished, and the remainder of the flesh holding the head to it's body disintegrated before Brambleclaw's eyes. He couldn't hold down the bile that rose in his mouth as the scarred head of the she-cat's head rolled across the ground, leaving a black trail in the dirt behind it. He heard a low wail of a cat in pain, and spun to see Squirrelflight staring at the decapitated body that still stood in front of Brambleclaw.

He turned back to the thing that used to be a she-cat, and bristled as it took a step forward, blood spilling down through her fur. The tabby spat bile onto the ground before shoving the remains of the she-cat over in disgust. The paws still twitched and struck outward, so he slit her stomach open, letting the grey-white guts of the dead cat spill out onto the ground along with an amount of blood. He watched as it slowly faded, smoke rising from where the body had lain. A few tail lengths away, the head of the she-cat, eyes wide open, also vaporized slowly.

"Brambleclaw…" He turned to his mate, feeling numb and disgusted, not trusting the meal he had had before the battle to stay down. The tabby was still frozen when Squirrelflight rushed over and pushed her muzzle into his shoulder. Tears made his fur wet, and a sob shook her body and Brambleclaw felt it thrum through his own. "Squirrelflight… I have a feeling that the Clan is going to have a hard time beating these cats." She nodded silently, and Brambleclaw licked her ear gently. "Squirrelflight, we have to go warn Firestar; and the rest of the Clan." He was not blind to the battle that still whirled around them, but now could see Bumblestripe fall under the blows of a tabby who had ribs protruding from his pelt, and Hollyleaf and Ivypool flee back into the camp with a couple of living warriors on their tail, who obviously were on the Dark Forest side. Brambleclaw had never seen them, and they seemed to be the cause of the lacerations on the two she-cats' pelts.

"Go find Firestar," He tossed over his shoulder to his mate as he sped over to intercept the living cats. _Those_ he knew how to fight.

"Hollyleaf! Ivypool!" The two she-cat's turned to him, eyes wide with hope as he slipped between them to face the two living cats. One he recognized as Tigerheart, and the other, a RiverClan cat by the silkiness of his fur. Both of their faces were twisted in snarls of hatred, and the darkness that followed the undead cats of the Dark Forest.

Hollyleaf nodded and spun on her heel, facing down the two toms that pursued her with green eyes blazing with hatred. Ivypool limped before falling, and Brambleclaw meowed loudly, "Go see Jayfeather!" before turning to the opponents.

The black she-cat had already struck out at Tigerheart, her teeth clenched in concentration as she battled through the scratches that covered her fur. Brambleclaw matched her moves and soon drove them both onto their hind legs. The tag team sent them running with a slice to their stomachs, which reminded Brambleclaw of the she-cat so much that he was almost sick again.

"Thanks Brambleclaw," Hollyleaf gasped out, sucking in large lungfuls of air.

"Are you okay? Should you go see Jayfeather too?" He checked, doing a once over of the black she-cat's pelt. It was matted in several places with blood, but there was nothing too serious that Brambleclaw could see. _Although, _He winced as the adrenaline of the last battle faded and the searing pain of his broken bones returned, _it's not always that easy to see._

"I'm fine, I'm okay." She puffed quietly, and upon getting her breath back, she stood up to her full height and looked the deputy in the eyes. "I'll always be okay for my Clan,"

Brambleclaw nodded, taken aback by the warrior's loyalty, even though she had just returned from a self-proclaimed exile, she was definitely a cat that Brambleclaw wanted on his side. "Watch your back then," And he sprang away, confident that the dark cat could take care of herself. He needed to find Firestar, to tell him about the Dark Forest cats but the ginger tomcat was nowhere to be found. One cat he thought was the ginger leader was a Dark tom, with large amber eyes that narrowed as they looked at the tabby. Brambleclaw was shocked to see a body fall to the ground behind the huge tom, one that he never thought he would see down on the ground, anywhere but the warriors den.

With a snarl that was laced with a sob, the deputy leapt at the orange cat, knocking him back. His paws ripped through flesh, and he didn't care what he hit, as long as the fur and blood flew, his tears and sobs mixing into the cries of battle. It took more time than Brambleclaw was willing to admit to realize that his opponent was dead, and the body below him was a little less than a hunk of meat. The tom had been a living warrior of the Dark Forest, and had perished easily under the dark tabby's' claws even though he had kept striking. The normally strong deputy stood over the body of his friend before stepping away to be swallowed by the battle again.

Stumbling through the barrage of bodies, Brambleclaw made his way toward Highrock, shouldering his way between a tortoiseshell Dark Forest cat and Sandstorm before leaping up onto the rock fall. He turned and looked out over the clearing of writhing cats, looking for another orange pelt, ignoring the bloody mess that cats now avoided, even in the heat of battle. When Brambleclaw managed to locate his leader, he plunged into the crowd, paddling as if he were swimming through the river of the old RiverClan territory. He reached Firestar as the leader threw off a grey and white tom that was obviously undead. The Dark Forest cat had long fur tufted to points, which were stained black with blood. The enemy cat leapt again and Brambleclaw smashed into him, throwing him off course. The cat turned to Brambleclaw and glared, landing on all four paws to turn toward him. "Hawkfrost!" His anger was apparent until he turned toward the battle, spotting Hawkfrost shouting orders, and his face turned stormy. "You're not Hawkfrost…" Brambleclaw took advantage of the cat's confusion to slice along the light-furred tom's side. "No, I'm a lot better than my brother ever was," Brambleclaw growled, and sliced at the tom's muzzle as well, even as he ducked under the blow.

"Brambleclaw!" Firestar called from behind him, and then leapt up beside him. Together, the two of them attacked the Dark Forest tom, steadily slicing lines through the untidy fur until the cat turned and stumbled away into the midst of battle. Only then did Firestar cough up a mouthful of blood, spit, and turn to address his deputy. "Brambleclaw, it's good to see you," He nodded, green eyes warm "Now what's wrong?"

Brambleclaw attempted to dismiss the disturbing pictures that wouldn't leave the forefront of his mind, and looked up at Firestar with sadness. "The Dark Forest cats don't die like regular cats. They need to be beheaded, or ripped apart. Firestar…" Brambleclaw had never thought that he would cry in battle, or feel the immense amount of sorrow and fear that slowed his paws like never before. "I saw Dustpelt die. I saw his ears in shreds and his fur almost black with blood."

Firestar could only nod sadly. "Graystripe and Brackenfur were found outside. They died in the first wave of warriors."

The deputy could only stare at Firestar and imagine the pain that he was going through. His kithood friend, almost his brother, was dead, and Brambleclaw was worrying over his senior warriors. It suddenly made him feel so small and whiny next to the strength of the ginger tom, who could only stay strong for his Clan now. He couldn't grieve like he wanted, and yet he stood tall and fought off the cats that still attacked his Clan and wanted nothing more than to see them all dead.

"Oh Firestar," And though the younger cat felt no sexual attraction to his leader, he wrapped his tail around his shoulders to pull the orange tom closer.

"We're wasting time." The tom said gruffly after a few seconds of letting himself be comforted. Brambleclaw nodded and looked out into the battle again, terrified for the fate of his Clanmates.

_**A.N: Lol, Dustpelt, Graystripe, Brackenfur are dead. The oldest cats in the Clan next to Mousefur and Firestar. I'll write a new Alliances after all of this is over, and you'll all stare ^.^**_

**(12/17/12- Sorry for all of these false updates, I don't have a Beta so I edit chapters myself. I haven't been writing much, as you might have heard, there's been a shooting in my town. President Obama was here yesterday. It's very surreal to see the President of the U.S standing on your auditorium stage =/)**


	3. Calm before the Tornado

**A.N: I forgot the disclaimer for the last chapter, so I'll tell you now, for this chapter and the last one, I don't own the Warriors, I'm just slowly killing them all and giving their mangled bodies back to the Hunters as an example D. This is a filler, sorry for that. The next one will be bloody if I can help it.**

_Brambleclaw nodded and looked out into the battle again, terrified for the fates of his Clanmates._

"We should split up," Firestar said quickly, barely giving Brambleclaw enough time to let out a mew of objection. "You're too good of a deputy to lose, Brambleclaw. We both know that you and I are targets in this battle." The tabby hesitated again, and then dipped his head, always loyal to his leader before springing away into the mess of battling cats.

He landed on all fours before lashing out at a Dark Forest cat that was holding down Poppyfrost, who looked untouched on her part. The foggy cat turned on him with a snarl and Brambleclaw slipped into the habit of not paying attention to the moves, all he cared about was landing a blow on the neck and stomach. Claws slipped through Brambleclaw's own fur, who felt nothing, until his paws were once more, black with the blood of the undead, and he watched the body of the Dark Forest cat fade to smoke. Poppyfrost gasped as blood bubbled from a scratch on her throat, but after a moment, Brambleclaw was assured that it wasn't deep, and Poppyfrost went off to help Cherrypaw, who had unwittingly returned to the camp and was sucked into the battle.

Realizing the pain in his own chest again, the dark cat attempted to ignore the growing pain that had been a minor discomfort until now. He shook blood out of his eyes again, the wounds from the first few cats he had fought drying his pelt into one big matt. In a way it helped, as the coated and sticky hairs formed a type of shield over his face, chest and flanks, where most of the wounds had been received. Fatigue dragged on his limbs after only… The faces of the cats he had killed, _killed_, blurred in his mind's eye. Brambleclaw figured that that had meant he had killed many cats, and it seemed to have made a difference. The number of cats in the clearing was decreasing, and there were at least two ThunderClan cats to each Dark Forest, instead of the other way around. Claws slashed and feline figures were chased out of the clearing, or dropped to the ground, where the victim was ripped apart, whether they were Clan cat or Dark Forest.

Now that the clearing was emptying, Brambleclaw gazed around for Squirrelflight again, anxious to see if his mate had made it through the battle. "Squirrelflight!" He yowled, looking up to the stars, hoping that there wasn't one new star up in the dark fabric. The sun had set during the battle, and the warriors of StarClan were fading into view, just as cold and distant as always.

Wrenching his gaze from the heavens, he looked around the clearing, at the slumped figures, or half slumped in some cases, searching for her red pelt. He saw one, and rushed over, only to find Cloudtail's blue eyes staring dolefully up at him.

"Cloudtail!" Brambleclaw mewed in shock, helping the senior warrior up and over to Jayfeather, who was treating cats that laid in a row in from of his den. The scent of death came from inside the den, and no cat dared ask what had happened.

"I'm fine," The once-white warrior coughed, his long fur as clumped as Brambleclaw's, each matt dyed a red to cover the wounds underneath.

"You'll be even better when you let Jayfeather fix you up then as well," Brambleclaw countered. He cast a glance up and down the line of cats that had flocked to Jayfeather, who now had Leafpool and Brightheart to help him. Both warriors were covered in cobwebs as well as dolling them out, it was obvious that even the warriors that were less skilled at fighting were giving their all in this battle.

When it seemed like Cloudtail could stand on his own, and the deputy had made eye contact with Jayfeather, though it was useless, he knew that the young medicine cat understood that he had another patient. As soon as he felt that it was morally okay to leave the white warrior, Brambleclaw broke away from the throng to look for Squirrelflight again. Sickly, he staggered past the body of Dustpelt, with his throat ripped out and shoulder, a mess of tendons and white bone, to look in the shadows. Graystripe's still body just inside the entrance was also gruesome to look at, with severed internal organs leaking from a small slit in the long-haired tom's stomach, like a small paw had fished inside and cut up the senior warrior's insides. Bits and pieces of the flesh was scattered around him in a puddle of sticky red blood, with smears that covered the stems of thorns in the entrance like rainwater. Even more revolting were the paw prints that covered the clearing like the leaves that fall in autumn, turning every which way and overlapping, smearing and generally spreading the crimson liquid around the packed dirt clearing, which had turned to mud.

"Squirrelflight?" Brambleclaw called out again, his voice breaking while searched the shadows for any place the she-cat may have dragged herself to get away from the fighting. The scent of blood was too strong to track her, and the ground was a mess of marks and prints that only showed a struggle of huge proportions. A weight cannoned into him from the side, and the tabby tomcat responded instantly, spinning with his teeth flashing and claws unsheathed, ready to strike. Standing there in front of him was the ginger cat he had been looking for, and the growl that had risen in his throat changed to a strong purr as he rushed forward and lick her ear.

"You scared me!" The deputy murmured as his heartbeat slowed. He hadn't even realized how terrified he was of losing her until this moment. "Please don't do that ever…ever again."

"I won't, stupid furball," Squirrelflight licked his chest, avoiding the edges of a scratch that had stopped bleeding just a little while ago. "But don't think that you didn't scare me as well." Looking into her green eyes, Brambleclaw could see his own fear of finding his mate dead, like the bodies that were now littered about in the clearing.

"Did you get checked out by Leafpool?" He changed the subject quickly, forcing back the raw emotions that the night had already stirred within him. A breeze drifted through the hollow, replacing the stagnant stink of carrion and blood with the moist, sour scent of the Dark Forest cats that still waited in the trees. No cat was naïve enough to think that this battle was over, nor that the Dark Forest cats would give up without a real fight.

"Not yet, I was helping Cherrypaw and Molepaw. Firestar sent the ShadowClan patrol home when the last of the Dark Forest warriors were leaving. He had to apologize from keeping them away from their Clan in the time of need…" Squirrelflight looked up at Bramblclaw as they padded slowly-more like limped-across the clearing. "Have you thought of your sister just yet?"

He shook his head silently, trying to repress the idea that his sister was just another body on the forest floor of her own camp. "I haven't had time. The Clan comes first." The gruff reply made Squirrelflight touch his shoulder with her tail. "Family and Clan are the same thing. You may live with these cats, but you were born with Tawnypelt. I'm sure that Firestar won't have any problem with sending an apprentice out to see the other Clans when he gets the chance."

"Squirrelflight," The tense mew came from Jayfeather as he looked up from the cats that were seeking care. "Leafpool… I think you should go see her." His voice was taunt, and very formal. Brambleclaw could feel the fur of his mate fluff up with alarm. "What's wrong?" She called, picking up her pace to get to the medicine cat den as fast as she could. Brambleclaw stayed behind, focusing on the pain that accompanied each breath in his lungs, rather than the line of injured Clanmates that stood around him, glassy eyed with pain or heaving labored breaths as they sunk to the ground, regardless of the state of it.

Jayfeather and Squirrelflight stood together for a moment among the mob of cats, and he could just make out the slumped shoulders of the grey tabby and the bottle-brushed tail of his mate. Without letting Jayfeather finish, she raced into the medicine cat den, brushing past Brightheart, who looked mostly uninjured, except for the split on her hind leg. The ginger and white she-cat watched the younger feline with pity before moving on with the bundle of herbs. The tabby could guess what was going on inside the den, and left the sisters to mourn quietly before Leafpool was overwhelmed by her wounds. There was a faint sense that he should be there for Squirrelflight, but he dismissed the thought, figuring that she'd rather be alone. Instead, he went to seek out her father again, who was sitting by Highrock with one foreleg splayed forward to take the tension off the other.

"Firestar, we need to collect the bodies," Brambleclaw tried his best to sound hard and grim, though he just wanted to break into sobs for the three cats they had already lost. "The battle is by no means over, and the warriors will want to pay respects to their Clanmates before…" He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. Before they died? Before they forget that their Clanmates had not sacrificed themselves in vain? Before they lost hope? Even he couldn't answer the questions that flooded his mind, and could only nod when Firestar gave him an affirmative.

Looking around at the semi-active warriors, he picked out Thornclaw and Icecloud to help him find the bodies of their friends. As expected, they pulled Dustpelt from a pit of mud that his own blood had created, and left the body under the rockfall, by the edge of the hollow. Next, they found Graystripe, and Icecloud retched as the toms picked him up, unable to stop the flow of blood that gushed through the ragged wound in his stomach. Brambleclaw couldn't feel anything as they laid the senior warrior beside Dustpelt's brown body, and went to check the outside of the camp for where Firestar had mentioned seeing Brackenfur before.

Dragging the flattened thorns aside, Brambleclaw and Icelcoud had just exited the camp when they heard a howl of rage from the forest. A flash of fur bolted through the bushes, and the deputy had little time to pin the offending cat before they attacked.

"Get off me, you fat piece of crowfood! You stink of death and blood!" Spat his captive, and he stared until he recognized Mousewhisker's gray and white fur under a thick coat of black blood. He glanced up in time to see the enraged faces of Hazeltail and Whitewing flying down the slope as well, eyes narrowed.

"Stop!" Icecloud yelped, "It's us! Icecloud and Brambleclaw!" The warriors skidded to a halt clumsily, and a murmur of laughter came from the trees, and eyes gleamed between branches.

"I'm so sorry Brambleclaw, I thought you were Hawkfros-" Mousewhisker's eyes were wide as the deputy lifted one wide paw to left the young cat up.

"Get inside the camp. Now." He cut the tom off, and his gaze caught the two she-cats as well. "It's not same out here."

"Listen to the big bad deputy!" A haunting voice sounded from the deepest shadows, and Darkstripe's face appeared in the inadequate lighting. "You better get inside before the big bad cats get their claws on you," he sneered, a glint in his pale amber eyes, "Someone might just get their stomach slit open, and be left to bleed to death…"

"You!" Thornclaw had joined the other five cats now, and Brambleclaw ushered the WindClan patrol and Icecloud back inside the camp. This was no time to be picking fights.

"You killed Graystripe! How could you? You grew up with him." Thornclaw's voice almost broke, then he looked down at Brackenfur's almost untouched corpse.

"That filthy piece of foxdung didn't have a drop of loyalty in him to anyone," Darkstripe crowed, "Except that disgusting kittypet that still leads your Clan. By the end of the night, he'll be on the ground with the rest of you!"

"Thornclaw," Brambleclaw warned quietly, before picking up Brackenfur's scruff in his mouth, and waiting patiently for the golden-brown warrior to grab his brother's corpse as well. The deputy could see that the cat was choking on tears as he followed the tabby back inside.

A wail broke the silence as the two toms came in, and Brightheart sank onto her stomach, staring at the body of her brother as they laid him beside the other two toms. The Clan gathered mutely around the three fallen warriors and dropped their heads solemnly, eyes wide with grief. Squirrelflight had not emerged from the medicine cat den, and Jayfeather was gone as well, alone with Sandstorm. Brambleclaw walked silently over to Firestar as Mousefur showed Purdy how to prepare the bodies for burial. The bodies of the living Dark Forest cats had been pushed and piled at the edge of the hollow, and among them he could spot the silky pelt of a RiverClan tom, and the ragged pelt of the WindClan tom he had torn apart in revenge for Dustpelt.

"It's a tragedy the Clan has never faced before." He murmured, wishing that he actually meant his words. They had lost this many cats in the fight against Scourge, but the enemies then had been untrained rogues, not undead evil cats that had spent seasons perfecting the ways to kill.

"They'll make it through," The ginger tom responded hollowly. "Can you take over the Clan for a bit? Leafpool… She needs everyone she can get."

"Of course, Firestar." The tabby dipped his head sadly. He had the worst feeling that the amount of death would only go up as he stared through the barrier at the glint of eyes, and a chorus of maniatic laughter filled the night. A tremor shook his ragged pelt, making it stand on edge as a cat, broad shouldered and huge, cast a shadow on the clearing. He recognized the shadow before he even saw the cat he knew as his father, walking into the ThunderClan camp as if he had already won.

**A.N: What is with me and giving Tigerstar the big entrances? I just love the big genocidal maniac!**

**Tigerstar: Awwww, I love you too. Can I kill the kittypets now?**

**Ash: Not just yet, keep your fur on.**

**Thank you, Cinderstar377, becca, eclareforever901, and Starrymists for your reviews, you make writing a great experience ^.^ Next to the thrill of getting to kill Firestar my own way xD**


	4. Snuffed out

**A.n: So this update is a little...eh... later than I promised. Please don't kill me for that reason, just who I kill ^^**

_He recognized the shadow before he even saw the cat he knew as his father, walking into the ThunderClan camp as if he had already won._

"Tigerstar," The growl traveled through the Clan like wind, and the warriors that once knew the huge dark tabby stood, turning to challenge him though they were bloody and broken from their fight before.

"ThunderClan," The former leader sniffed, his scarred nose wrinkling as if he had smelled something rotting. "I came to offer you a way of survival, but if you don't want it…" His thick tail swished through the crimson mud and dying the tip the thick brown color.

"We don't want your tricks and lies," Cloudtail snarled weakly.

Brambleclaw bristled angrily, before spitting, "Get out of our Clan."

"We'll win this battle yet," Millie warned from the body of her deceased mate, with Blossomfall and Bumblestripe standing that their mother's flank.

The younger warriors all looked terrified of the legendary Tigerstar, but they too snarled and thrashed their tails back and forth, silent but menacing.

"Fools, traitors and scum," the tabby spat, though a smile was curling his muzzle. "You do not speak for ThunderClan. Your kittypet leader does. So let him step forward."

The cats of ThunderClan glanced around, wondering where their leader was. Brambleclaw ducked away into the medicine cat den, saddened that he had to interrupt the grieving family. "Firestar?" He called tentatively, and stepped into the shadows of the medicine den, letting his eyes adjust until he could see four pairs of eyes reflecting light back at him.

"Brambleclaw, what is it?" The orange tom stood from his place beside Sandstorm. Leafpool was sleeping by their paws, and Squirrelflight looked up at her mate with despair deep in her eyes. "Has there been another attack?"

Brambleclaw couldn't hide the growl that snuck in with his words. "Tigerstar is here to talk about our terms of surrender." The tabby had to restrain himself from spitting on the ground inside the shadowy brambles, knowing that Jayfeather would have his tail for it.

Firestar's eyes darkened, and the old leader stood taller, his chest ruffling as the ginger fur bristled and smoothed. He stalked past his deputy with the grace of the legendary cats, with Sandstorm hard on his tail with one glance back at her daughter. Squirrelflight was still beside her, and Jayfeather moved to the other cats in the den; Toadstep muttered while lying on some moss, attempting to keep quiet, and Poppyfrost sat by Berrynose, who had returned sometime during the battle. The tabby turned to go, but Jayfeather's hiss stopped him.

"Help me redress Ivypool's wound," The tabby said, before showing Brambleclaw where to place his paws so that he could quickly help the silver she-cat.

"Don't you have Brightheart to do this?" Brambleclaw mewed impatiently as Jayfeather asked if Ivypool needed anything else. The blind tom rounded on him quickly, and stared him in the eyes, something that the cat that had acted as his father, and seen him flounder around in snow drifts and after leaves, would never get used to. "Don't you remember that Brightheart has kits to attend to? She gave up enough time to help me get ready, and fought with Sorreltail. Then she came back to help with the injured cats. Overall, she's been more help than you have been, Brambleclaw, so if you can keep your fur on for just a couple extra heartbeats, you can go."

The sharp words stung, and he recoiled slightly. Jayfeather was known for his acidic tongue, but he had never spoken to the deputy like that before. "Jayfeather, I'm sorry, it's just that… Tigerstar…"

"Don't you think that's why I have you in here?" The tomcat gruffly mewed before fidgeting with some herbs, splitting a leaf along it's veins with precision that made Brambleclaw awed.

"You don't want me to see him? Why not?"

"Brambleclaw, so many cats have barely gotten over your heritage. Do you really want to jeopardize that by letting your temper loose on your father?"

The dark tabby realized that the younger cat was just trying to help him in any way possible. "How long do you want me in here, then?" He settled back on his haunches, watching Ivypool slowly grow in anxiety. "When can I go too?" She blurted, eyes glowing.

"Soon, both of you. I actually do need help, Briarlight is with her family, Brightheart is with her kits, and Leafpool-" The grey tabby choked as he said the name of his old mentor.

Ivypool touched her nose to the tabby's shoulder as he paused by her, and the tom seemed to shake himself or shiver, and thanked the she-cat with a short nod. His blue eyes turned to the opening of the den, and Jayfeather froze, ears twitching before telling both the cats that they could leave.

Brambleclaw offered a murmur of solace as he passed back into the sunlight, wincing with each step. The broken ribs were really bothering him now, even though most of the scratches were scabbing or clotting with the blood that was drying on his fur.

"Bramblclaw!" The medicine cat called to him, and he glanced over his shoulder. "Don't think I didn't see that," He smirked, blue eyes narrowing. "You _will _be back in here very soon. Don't make me come out into the battle to find you."

"Nothing gets by you, Jayfeather," The deputy muttered, mock resentment apparent in his voice. The darker tabby ducked out after Ivypool before Jayfeather could make him come back or sit for longer than he really needed to.

"-ThunderClan won't give up the lake to any cat," Firestar's voice could be heard easily as the two cats re-entered the main clearing, "Especially not a couple of half-dead ones." Venom laced the orange cat's words as he addressed the semi-transparent mirror of Brambleclaw. Tigerstar, instead of looking angry or harassed, only laughed shortly, his teeth baring in a smile that looked more like a snarl.

"Yet you let StarClan run the whole forest. Can I ask you what the difference is? Have your starry warriors even come to help you? Or, in their indifference, are they really just the same as us," The scars along the deceased's body stretched as he stepped toward Firestar, and Brambleclaw stopped short a tail-length behind his leader, bristling. He didn't think that Tigerstar would be as rash as to attack the leader in the middle of the Clan, but wouldn't stand the chance. "StarClan has abandoned you all, and they can't save you now."

The deputy barged between his father and his mentor, his broad shoulders pushing against the two cats, both equally solid as the other. "Stay away from him," he growled, deep in his throat, staring into the eyes of his father. He hadn't noticed before, but he had grown to almost the size of his father. Despite his broken and bloody body, the twin tabbies stood eye to eye, with bristling pelts and narrowed amber eyes.

"Son," Tigerstar ground out, as if it were painful to say the words themselves, "Get out of the way."

"Why would you suddenly be calling me Son?" He challenged, and then spat on the ground by Tigerstar's paws.

"You're right, a fool of me to think that you had actually grown a sense of family loyalty, not after you murdered your own brother," His amber eyes shot open at the word 'murder', and Brambleclaw winced before holding himself high. Some of the cats in the clearing looked shocked, while others eyed their deputy with apprehension.

"These fools don't even know your full power, and they're never going to full accept you. And you actually think that with your heritage, with _me _on your shoulder, that they would accept you as their leader?" The broad-shouldered tabby licked his jaws, extremely long claws curling into the ground, dirt rising up around them, just as if he were a living cat. "Have you even told them that _you _have been to my Dark Forest as well?"

Murmurs broke out among his Clanmates, scorn crossed many of their faces, and the ones that stared at him in disbelief quickly turned away when their deputy didn't reject the statement. His amber eyes flickered to his father, and then fixed on the ground between his paws. His massive shoulders slumped for a second before he gathered his courage and looked around the Clan. "Tigerstar came to me in my dreams and told me that I could serve the Clan better if he taught me to fight. I left once I saw what he really was, a _monster._"

Tigerstar's ears flicked. "From my own kin…" he growled, tail lashing. "Never mind that, because you didn't leave until after you killed your own brother after trying to kill that kittypet," A harsh jerk toward the ginger leader signified exactly who he was talking about. "You call me a monster when you worshipped me for teaching you how to take over your Clan," The dark tabby's voice had to rise above the wails of the Clan, and cats scrambled away from Brambleclaw as if he had greencough.

"I didn't know! Hawkfrost…. He did it himself…! Please! You have to believe me!" The younger cat spun to look desperately at ThunderClan.

"You're a disgrace!"

"How could you deceive us like this?"

"Banish him!"

"He belongs in the dark forest next to the rest of his kin!"

Brambleclaw felt like a kit again, as he stood in the middle of the clearing, the cats he had grown up with staring at him with hostility and wariness.

"ThunderClan!" Firestar tried to shout above the din, but it was no use.

"You did this!" Brambleclaw spun to Tigerstar, his teeth bared in hate. "My Clan trusted me and you've ruined it!" His words turned into a soundless yowl as he leap at his father, wounds forgotten as his claws snagged in the dark fur.

Both cats tumbled to the ground and rolled across the clearing, cats moving to let them through, but not one lifting a paw to help their traitorous deputy. Eventually they stopped, and Brambleclaw ended up on top, one paw poised to deal the death blow.

Tigerstar had a happy smirk on his face, and stared at his son with burning orange eyes. "Do you really think that you have the power to kill me, Brambleclaw?"

The deputy of ThunderClan hesitated, and stared down at his father, who wasn't even attempting to defend himself. He wanted nothing more than to rid the forest of his presence forever, and only nodded slowly before striking downward.

"Attack!" The howl split the forest and before any cat could move, more Dark Forest cats spilled through the barrier, swamping the ThunderClan population. Tigerstar stared gleefully up at Brambleclaw as a shadow covered both of them. The younger tom had enough time to look up and spot a pair of icy eyes before he was thrown back, sliding when he hit the muddy ground.

"How dare you go against our father! If you had only listened to him, your precious Clan could have survived!" Hawkfrost hissed as he advanced on his fallen brother.

"I will always be loyal to the forest cats first, and above them, my Clan!" Brambleclaw snarled, leaping to his feet in time to dodge a swipe from the white-chested tom.

"Then you're a fool! And you will die for the cats you've betrayed, and the dream that you shattered! _Our _dream!"

The two cats leapt at each other, and there was a flurry of claws and muscle. Teeth snapped so close to Brambleclaw's neck that he felt his fur catch and pull before ripping out of his skin. He retaliated with a blow that made a hollow noise as it slammed into Hawkfrost's stomach. The tom went flying, but landed neatly on all his paws. He smirked before glancing at the cats that had made a ring around them. Some were his clanmates, others were Dark Forest cats as they watched the two brothers fight. Also in this clearing, Tigerstar and Firestar rolled until both their pelts were covered in dried mud, and the foes were only recognizable by their eye colors.

Hawkfrost let his brother watch the battle, eyes bright with malice as he watched Brambleclaw tense to leap to his leader's side. "Not so fast,"

The dark tom landed on top of the deputy, pulling him onto his side and slithering around to pin him to the mud. Amber eyes glared up at him, but the words that he attempted to say were lost in the howling of the cats around them. Together, they turned their attention to the long-time enemies that ripped at each other with the ferocity of the ancient cats of legend.

Firestar slapped his paw against Tigerstar's muzzle, unbalancing the huge cat while scraping thorn-sharp claws along his flank, where the fur fell away to show a ghastly wound. The tabby returned in kind, turning his head to catch Firestar's paw and crunching it between his massive jaws. A yowl came from the ginger leader as he leapt onto Tigerstar's back and dug his hind claws in before raking them repeatedly over the spine of his enemy. The dark tabby rolled onto the ground, squashing the ThunderClan cat and pressing his shoulders back into the dirt, a muffled snarl could barely be heard. When the Dark Forest leader leapt to his paws and spun to face his nemesis, he stared down at a coughing pile of muddy fur. With a huge leap, he bowled the smaller tom onto his back, growled a quietly in his year, then took his time biting down on the leader's jugular vein.

"No!" Brambleclaw writhed out from under his brother and rushed across the empty space the other cats had cleared. "You can't kill him!" He flung his whole body onto his father, and in the process, dislodged Tigerstar's teeth from his beloved leader's neck.

His father rolled twice before getting to his paws, laughing quietly. "This looks so familiar, doesn't it Brambleclaw?" He growled seductively, his voice nothing if not like the low roll of thunder signaling the oncoming of a hurricane. "You can choose us, and we might spare you. Or you could choose your _Clan_ and you will _die_."

The young deputy wasn't an inexperienced warrior, pining for his leader's attention anymore. If the Clan didn't forgive him, fine. But he would prove his worth to them. "I rather _die_ than stand beside you!" He hissed, taking a pace forward. Tigerstar looked nonchalantly past Brambleclaw, and nodded coolly. The tabby turned in time to see his brother plunge his claws into Firestar's throat. The blood pooled up and around his paw as the leader struggled to breath, mouth gaping before dying with a hoarse groan.

**A.N: -dancing on Firestar's grave- he's dead! YEA! Properly, without lightening, or discharged with honors, or whatever! He's MORTAL! And now Tigerstar gets to kick his body around for another chapter!**

**ps, what do you think will happen to ThunderClan now that Firestar's gone? D**


	5. End of the Line

**A.N: Haha, yes, I killed Firestar. I get to kill even more now ^.^ And obviously, with Firestar dead, Brambleclaw has to name a new deputy**

Brambleclaw was speechless as he stared at Hawkfrost, who leered back, the mirror image so clear that every cat could see it. From the back of the ring of cats, an eerie wail of mourning came up, one that begged to be joined with. But the voice was silenced with a gurgle that carried across the silence of the camp. Dark Forest cats and ThunderClan cats alike stared at the corpse of the greatest cat that had walked the forest. The fire that had been chosen to save the Clan was put out in the darkness that swamped the forest. There was no hope now.

"Your leader is dead, ThunderClan. And you have chosen the wrong side in this war!" Tigerstar shouted gleefully, and turned to a couple of the warriors behind him. "Make sure none of them get out," he hissed, and his cronies slunk away to guard the entrance of the camp. "Your leader," he continued, padding over to Firestar's body, past his son's paralyzed form, "Is dead. Soon, the rest of you shall be. But let me start first, with the ones that never belonged here." His dark amber eyes swept the crowd as the Dark Forest cats began to herd the remainders of ThunderClan together.

Brambleclaw turned to make sure that all the cats were accounted for, and spotted the blood-covered pelts of Foxleap and his sister, Icecloud on the floor of the clearing, clearly dead. Ferncloud huddled next to Sorreltail and Daisy for relief, and stared blankly at the ground in front of her.

"The kittypets, the scum of this Clan." The massive tabby spat, looking at the shattered remains of the Clan. "The Half-Clan, the unfaithful, the disloyal! When I lived in the forest, there was none of this! It started when this kittypet filth," he kicked Firestar's body, which weakly flopped in the mud and gazed up at the sky with glassy green eyes. "Joined the Clan. Now, there is no more kittypet leader, and the Clan will be purged." His growl was as smooth as the river flowing past, and the clearing fell to a hush.

"Now obviously I know which of you are not truly ThunderClan," he taunted, signaling his companions to drag a stunned Daisy and Mille out of the crowd of cats. "From the cats that fight beside you, because they told me all your little secrets." Blossomfall, Birchfall, Mousewhisker and Ivypool writhed against their captors as they were thrown before Tigerstar.

The deputy-now leader- stepped back among his Clanmates. "Listen, carefully." He murmured, and felt pelts brush his sides as Tigerstar continued gloating over his victory. Some cats growled, and he backed farther into the group so his voice could reach more cats. "I'm going to kill Tigerstar." He stated calmly, and a low grunt of acknowledgement surrounded him. Sandstorm's eyes met his, and her gaze was burning with anger. "I'm with you." She hissed.

"As am I," mewed Hollyleaf from somewhere to his right.

"No, Hollyleaf. You can't go." He turned his head slightly to her, and he could just see her green eyes blazing. "Hollyleaf, with the passing of Firestar, I am now leader. Now, I say these words before the body of Firestar so that he may hear and approve my choice."

The traditional words made cats shift and glance toward their new leader. "Though you left the Clan for a while, and you have recently rejoined us, I name Hollyleaf the deputy of ThunderClan. Her wisdom and sharp wits will keep us safe in this time of need and continue the existence of ThunderClan after I am gone." Hollyleaf's eyes were wide with shock, but she nodded silently. Brambleclaw beckoned her over to his side, still without turning his head, in order to avoid alerting the Dark Forest cats of what was going on. "We need the Clan to get out of here," he breathed in his deputy's ear, as close to a closed council meeting as they could get. "I need you to lead them. Don't stray off course, don't let any cat fall behind. Sandstorm and I will be creating a distraction."

"Brambleclaw?" Hollyleaf murmured, turning to look at her leader. It sounded like…

The tabby shook his head minutely. "I'll catch up," both of them seemed to know that the promise was hollow, and Hollyleaf would be the last hope for the Clan. "You can't stay in the territory after you flee, go to ShadowClan, tell my sister what happened. We need to rally the Clans-all of them- in order to defeat this evil."

"Like how the Clans defeated BloodClan?" The black she-cat asked in awe.

"Exactly," the leader confirmed.

Silently, the new deputy pressed her muzzle into her leader's shoulder before looking straight ahead again. "We… we never blamed you for what Squirrelflight and Leafpool did." Her voice was choked up slightly, especially as she mentioned her mother's name.

"And I loved you as if you were my own kits. I hope it was enough," Brambleclaw breathed, and moved forward through his Clan again. He approached his father, who had Daisy pinned under his claws, ready to sink his teeth in. With a flash, he knew he had to act now.

"Sandstorm!" He grunted, and leapt across the clearing, crashing headlong into Tigerstar's muscular frame.

His father stumbled, and his amber eyes shot up to look at his unruly son, who backed away when he saw that the head butt hadn't even affected the Dark Forest cat. "I give you _everything._ And this is how you repay me?" Before Brambleclaw could blink, the dark mirror of himself had stabbed through Daisy's throat, sinking his claws into the ground below them.

"Enough," he spat, tearing his gaze from the kind queen. The Clan would have time to mourn for her later, when they weren't caught in an execution. "Enough blood has been spilt for today."

This time when Brambleclaw leapt, his father let go of Daisy's carcass to respond in kind. The two fell in a bundle, and the new leader found himself using moves that he hadn't used for so long; Dark Forest moves he had been taught as a warrior, and a deputy. He slashed down with both paws, and then fainted left before leaping to the right. Tigerstar was with him every step, crouching to leap before pulling Brambleclaw's legs out from under him and digging his teeth into his shoulder. The two fought viciously, and there was no sign of Sandstorm.

Brambleclaw had managed to pin Tigerstar to the ground, his broken body screaming in pain at the new injuries. His father looked equally spent, though he took no chances to find out if it was a ruse. Without hesitation, the younger tabby aimed a couple of blows at the senior's stomach. But before they could land, Tigerstar shimmied forward, unbalancing his son and reached up to take his neck in his jaws. Brambleclaw could feel the teeth closing around his throat, and struggled backward, doing nothing but choking himself further. The dead weight that was Tigerstar dragged in the mud, and instead of backing away, he collapsed and panted quietly. The tiredness that he had seen before clearly was an illusion, as the dead leader leapt to his paws and pinned his son to the dirt. "Daddy's here," he hissed psychotically, a fiendish look in the amber depths of his eyes that Brambleclaw had learned to avoid in the Dark Forest. "Do you think that StarClan will take you now? You'll come back in the Dark Forest, and come with us to attack the Clans. Your worst nightmare, forever."

The leader choked, gasping for air before Tigerstar let him go. Thoughts hazily swam in Brambleclaw's head and darkness crowded the edges of his vision before he could wonder why Tigerstar had let him go. Blinking to refocus the world, he spotted a streak of gold.

"I beat you once, you piece of foxdung," Lionblaze snarled, his amber eyes burning, "I can do it again."

Tigerstar smirked at the young warrior. "That was when I was weak. How do you think I feel in your world? So full of life, just for me to take." He slammed into the tom and ran his claws right through Lionblaze's pelt. As the golden tom leapt away, he suddenly understood that even though his powers were greater than the stars, they weren't greater than the darkness. He could be killed in this battle.

"Lionblaze!" Brambleclaw croaked, realizing the same fact. "Go with the others. We'll be alright here."

"But Brambleclaw!" The devoted warrior crouched and his tail snaked along the ground as Tigerstar smiled.

"Run back to your Clan now, little kit."

"Now Lionblaze!" Brambleclaw rose to his paws and towered over the gold cat. The warrior still looked torn, but dashed away into the fighting.

"You are more important than that Half-Clan filth, and yet you sacrifice yourself for him," Tigerstar shook his head. "I will never understand this generation."

The young leader hissed as Tigerstar once more pushed him over, and kicked the dead cat's stomach, leaving mark after mark, until he felt the black blood gushing out over his hindquarters.

"So I think I'll just kill them all off instead," The huge tom hissed, and sliced Brambleclaw's throat. The cat tried to scream, but his voice bubbled in his throat, hissing out through the hole in his windpipe. There was no air, no air to breath. His pelt felt warm and sticky, and his eyes were dimming as he gazed up at his father. No words could express the hate he felt for the tomcat that stood above him, with a mockery of sadness in his eyes.

"It would have ended better if you were with me," He growled forlornly. "Now your blood is mixed with that of your Clan. Is this what you wanted? Is it?!" Brambleclaw wouldn't have thought he would watch his father hysterically yell at him, but… was he hallucinating? A picture of Ferncloud flashed across his sluggish mind. After all that Tigerstar had gone through… his kits were the last thing left to him.

_Hawkfrost…_ Brambleclaw let his head loll as he looked across what had been an open stretch of ground before was now swarming with cats. A flash of hazy blue eyes was the only proof that his brother was dead forever before the body dissolved. Sandstorm stood by him, blood all over before glancing at the battle and leaping again.

His gaze directed back at Tigerstar, he mustered up a smirk in his failing body. "Yo-our lin-ne ends-s-s her-re. Fat-th-her-r." He spat the blood that was climbing up and down his throat, mustering up enough air to speak.

"My line will never end, as long as there are cats with hatred in their hearts and blood on their paws," the tabby hissed, dodging the spittle that now ran across Brambleclaw's muzzle.

'_No, it ends now.'_ Brambleclaw pushed his body upward, and clamped onto his father's throat. There was nothing more for him to do in this life, he had saved his Clan and now he would take the evil that started it all with him. Tigerstar tried to back away, but just like before, the dead weight of his son's body would not go far. There was a moment of disbelief before the tabby dropped, eyes filming over slowly, so slowly that Brambleclaw could not watch. He just wanted to sleep, to let go into the gentle blackness that was invading the back of his mind. He couldn't remember where he was. What he was doing… who this cat was even? But a sense of peace swirled around him as he closed his eyes, jaws still locked tight around Tigerstar's throat in a death grip as the body shook and pulled, only resulting in a thick ripping noise as the skin at the points where Brambleclaw had sunk his teeth began to separate from the rest of the cat's body. Black blood poured out as the twitches faded through the Dead Forest cat's corpse, and ran across the son's face, covering his eyes and sending him reeling into the darkness filled only with stars.

**A.N: Awwww! I killed my Narator! Damn! Who should I do next? Review D**


	6. Flight of a Clan

**A.N: Geez it's been a long time. I'm so sorry, here's a really short cahppie. I actually have to re-read this Fic so I know what's actually going on. **

**The only excuse I have is Marching Band XD I'm sad that the season's over, but I can come back to this now 8D**

_Black blood poured out as the twitches faded through the Dead Forest cat's corpse, and ran across the son's face, covering his eyes and sending him reeling into the darkness filled only with stars._

The she-cat watched her mate's body fall, his eyes dulling to a glaze. His fur was covered in mud, and it seemed impossible for it to be true. Firestar… was dead.

An image of a ginger apprentice flashed across the mind's eye of the female. With bright green eyes, he was nervous to be the new cat, a kittypet no less. The entire Clan scorned him for his very existence, and during those seasons, she was one of them; one of the cats that only thought that Firepaw had been a mistake, a weakness that would be pressed out of Clan history by the hardships of the warrior Clans. Yet, against all odds, he became Fireheart, the cat that brought back WindClan, the cat that protected Bluestar, the one that Sandstorm herself had finally admitted to being in love with. He had brought Cloudtail into the Clan, he became deputy. He let the dogs chase him to the gorge, led the four Clans against BloodClan. Firestar. The leader that led everyone on the Great Journey, to the lake, surviving through the new territories, even through the attempts on his life. And now… he lay on the ground, splayed out in a clearing full of mud, with Tigerstar leering at the cats he had threatened to kill so many times.

Sandstorm didn't even feel it when the Dark Forest cats pushed her in toward her Clanmates. Behind her, she could hear the choked wail of Icecloud, and then the scrape of claws as some enemy told her to shut up. Without stopping, the white she-cat mewled again, her sorrow peeling out into the shocked silence of the clearing. A thick blow sounded, and the cry broke off with a choked noise as Icecloud fell, blood spilling along the already thick mud. A ginger flash made Sandstorm half turn, but it was only Foxleap, jumping onto the cat that killed his sister. The rest of the Clan was too stunned to move as two or three cats fell upon the young warrior as well, ripping up his fur, but muffling him as he screamed under their claws.

Tigerstar was talking, he was talking and the words he spoke went right through her ears. Bramblclaw was talking, he was talking and the words he spoke went right through her ears. Hollyleaf was whispering, the words she spoke went right through her ears. Until Brambleclaw mentioned the word she wasn't numb to. 'Kill'

"I'm going to kill Tigerstar." The new leader murmured, and the burning need for revenge in Sandstorm's head made her immediately respond. "I'm with you." Her mind wasn't entirely wrapped around the same idea of killing the ancient leader, and she sunk back into her stunned state as the new deputy, Hollyleaf, and Brambleclaw talked it over.

_Firestar had killed Tigerstar in his own life, and I trust in Brambleclaw to take him down again. Brambleclaw, who tried to kill Firestar, Brambleclaw who visited the Dark Forest. The cat that really is to blame for Firestar's death… is Hawkfrost. He killed him. He will _die.

The Clan exploded into action with this last thought, and Sandstorm leapt forward with Bramblclaw just ahead of her. She saw Hawkfrost tense to swipe at his brother when the vengeful she-cat cannoned into his side. The ginger cat scraped her claws down the side of Hawkfrost's surprised face before he turned on her all the way. Ice-blue eyes closed as he caught her leg in his teeth; Sandstorm could feel the energy coursing through his jaws as he began to bite down on her, and ripped his teeth out, leaving thick slices down the sides of her foreleg. With a yowl, she bit down on his ear, ripping upward, leaving a fowl taste in her mouth.

Hawkfrost spun away, shaking drops of black stuff from his face, but eyes flashing open quickly without hesitation. The battle picked up again, and Sandstorm leapt at the tabby, yowling as her claws flashed. Arrogant with power, her enemy batted her out of the air, and struck down again for a killing blow. She rolled out of the way, letting Hawkfrost land heavily on all four paws again. Leaping to her paws, she bounded on top of the broad-shouldered tom and bit his scruff, digging her nose into the death-scented fur. Her back claws dug into his sides as she pushed, over and over and over. Sandstorm dug her front claws into his shoulders, as she tore strips of his pelt, muscles and whatever else lay inside his body. Black liquid bubbled over as it splashed onto the ground in splattered patterns. Anything that moved was ripped to shreds by the angry ginger she-cat.

Eventually, the dark fur underneath her slumped to the ground with nothing more than a few twitches that ran through it's ruined muscles. The cat that had been Hawkfrost was dead again, and this time he would stay that way. Sandstorm unclenched her claws and stepped off the slowly disintegrating carcass of Brambleclaw's brother. She turned slowly to see the new leader staring at her, but she could barely register how he looked.

The mirror of the cat she had just killed was in about the same shape- bloody and ripped-, lying on his back with his throat gushing crimson all over the mud. The cat that stood over him was Tigerstar, a gleeful smirk on his face. There was no way for Sandstorm to help him, and instead, sprang away into battle with the image of the young leader's head dropping onto the ground, lolling familiarly.

Battling through a hoard of cats once more, her claws caught faces, flanks and legs as she paired up with Toadstep. The tomcat was in bad shape, and Sandstorm sent him towards the entrance as she fought his enemy off with a few more swipes. Teeth closed in on her ear, and she pulled backward, breaking through the figures of battle to flee as the Dark Forest cat gave chase. The she-cat dodged through the cats, which were a little less than shadows in the edge of her view. A yowl caught her attention and an actual shadow leapt on her pursuer.

"Hollyleaf!" The ginger cat skidded to a stop, her ruined ear dripping blood down her face. Her green-eyed grandchild slammed into the cat, and sent him backing away with a few slices close to his neck. Lacerations covered the cat's chest as he backed away to fight with his Dark Forest brethren. Hollyleaf turned to her relative once the fight was over, eyes burning with a passion so much like the past orange leader that Sandstorm's stomach lurched.

"Sandstorm, go with the rest of the Clan," she waved toward the stream of cats that were running, panic-stricken, through the entrance tunnel, guarded by a few warriors that moved on when they became tired. ThunderClan was trickling out into the forest, and Sandstorm leapt up to join the guards. She would sacrifice her life for her Clan, or as close as she could get.

As the senior warrior headed over to join the guards, she recognized Bumblepelt and Toadstep on one side of the clearing, and Cloudtail lying on his side by the wall. Ferncloud and Brightheart were attempting to move him, but for the few seconds that Sandstorm watched, it seemed like the white warrior had close to no energy left.

Spinning beside Sorreltail, their backs faced the few cats that made it past them into the forest. The two she-cats tackled any oncoming Dark Forest cats and fought side by side, teeth and claws flashing as the foggy warriors continued to swamp the living.

"Sorreltail!" Sandstorm whirled to the younger cat, clumsily dodging a blow to her ear, which was already half ruined. "We need to go. I haven't seen any living cat get by…" She bit her lip, trying to recount the last time she had seen one of her clanmates. But the faces had blurred with blood, and her fur was thick with the stuff so much that she didn't know what was hers.

"We can't just leave them Sandstorm," Sorreltail hissed through gritted teeth as she rose onto her hind legs to score the back of a Dark Forest cat trying to take the escape route between them. "I've not seen Hollyleaf get out yet."

"Sorreltail," Sandstorm cried desperately, taking on another opponent. It was soon obvious that her concentration was cut in two when she was trying to talk and fight at once, and again the bloodlust filled her vision until the cat that had stood in front of her had fallen to the mud, eyes ripped out by her own claws. Her mate had said that they would fight like rouges, and indeed she had. "Sorreltail, where are your kits?"

"My kits? They're with the Clan. In the forest. They're safe." She yowled a battle call as a large ginger tabby pushed her to the ground, his claws flashing in the moonlight in a downward strike. Sandstorm leapt and caught his foreleg in her teeth, letting the energy of the motion impale the enemy's leg onto her sharp incisors. Her muscles ached in her claws and jaw, but she had to make sure she could do what could be done to save Sorreltail.

Spitting blood, Sandstorm leapt at the surprised cat's face and sliced neatly with all four claws across his face, and black sludge spewed from between her claws. "Shouldn't you be with them? They're scared, and they don't know where you are, but Sorreltail, you can't break their hearts like this." Sandstorm thought of her own kits, Leafpool falling victim to love, and Squirrelflight to lies. She had lived a long time, but she wasn't finished protecting the Clan she had lived for. "Go to them." She hissed, and Dark Forest cats leered at them, pushing them back into the brambles. Sandstorm could feel the spikes on the broken fronds digging into her pelt, but the discomfort barely registered next to the fiery wound that Hawkfrost had left on her.

The fellow warrior glanced at the elder cat in contemplation for a second before conceding. She turned tail and ran through the shadows; as Sandstorm heard her bounding pawsteps she also turned away from the clearing that she had called home and ran into the woods.

**So I had this all planned out and all messy on a paper and now I can't make sense of it XD I'll try my best.**

**So this was from Sandstorm because I kinda killed Brambly (Even though I'm a Bramblestar supportor) and she's actually REALLY OLD. And really hard to write for, but I tried my best.**

**Need help; Who should I use as the narator for the rest of the story? Review a name please, I'll use whoever doesn't die this time, because I don't like changing like this, sorry!**

**~Ashy**


	7. Deciding the Future

**A.N: I know I promised like, a week ago or something to do this, but I've done it ^^ and I can't stop 0.0 I forced myself to make this chapter and halfway through, I got sucked in and now I'm making the next one XD**

"Ivypool?" He called; down below, the Clan milled and eyes gleamed in the night. Fear was obvious among the throng of cats, who milled about in the grungy moonlight like a disturbed ant nest. "Ivypool?!" He cried out again, but there was no response.

"Bumblepelt," Hollyleaf greeted him quickly, surveying the cats as well. They both stood on a jagged tree stump, the bark flaked away and the wood corroded with holes. "We'll find her; she might have run off into the forest."

"No, I know her; she's too smart for that." The gray tabby mewed worriedly. He already saw Dovewing in the crowd below, her small frame still covered in fluffy grey fur and she showed little signs of injury. That released a little bit of the pressure mounting in his chest, but the thought his other missing Clanmates sent a jolt of panic through him.

"ThunderClan!" Hollyleaf called from the stump, shuffling to find a good place to stand. Bumblepelt prepared to leap down, realizing that the new leader was planning to use the stump to address her Clan. "Stay," The black she-cat amended, touching her tail to his shoulder. "I want to ask you something, I'll understand if you don't accept" her ears flattened nervously, "I mean, you haven't even had an apprentice yet, but… I think the Clan would accept you more than Birchfall… and Cloudtail is missing…"

"Hollyleaf, are you asking me to be deputy because everyone else is missing?" Bumblestripe didn't know whether to feel offended or proud that the cat wanted him to lead beside her.

"It won't be official, Bumblestripe; just until we can assemble the Clan again. I understand if you think that my decision doesn't make sense." Her green eyes flashed in the silver lighting "But our Clan needs us right now, and you are the son of a dear friend. You're a kind, strong warrior and you care for the safety of all the cats here. If I could have my way, you would be my deputy. But the Clan might want a senior warrior to lead beside me, and if that is the way they want it, who am I to argue?"

The pale gray tomcat studied the little black cat. She was older than him, yet so much more experienced. She was ready to lead the Clan through hard times and peace; it was obvious that Brambleclaw had recognized the worth of his adoptive daughter before the rest of the Clan had. "Okay," he agreed quietly, and assumed a position behind Hollyleaf's shoulder, looking over the frightened cats again.

"ThunderClan!" She called again, tail held high as the epitome of courage between the bloody scratches and the power that seem to excrete from the she-cat. "Gather here."

She waited patiently as the cats crept toward her through the shadows, their pelts covered with shadows and bloody mats. Fear glittered in their eyes as they stared up to their new leader. These cats had been driven from their home and needed strong leadership after the horrors they had seen.

"My friends… my family." Hollyleaf started, looking at the cats she had grown close to since her return. "Today has not, and _will _not be easy. But I think that we can all agree that this battle is not over; we will _not _be driven from our home like rats." Her gaze swept over the crowd. "I know this is hard, I hate to see you in pain," the words were raw with emotion, and the cats stood, transfixed. "But this threat will not pass until one of our sides is wiped out. Brambleclaw was right: we need to join the Clans together to face this threat. We'll take shelter at the Two-leg Den until we come up with a plan- it's easier to defend and take shelter in. In the meantime, I need you to look around. As much as it hurts, we need to know who is missing. They could be somewhere in the forest, but there will be no search parties until daylight. Senior warriors…" Some cats flinched at these words. Normally that council was composed of Sandstorm, Graystripe, Dustpelt, Cloudtail and Brambleclaw. Now that almost all those cats have passed, the new leader would need to establish the group herself. "… Sorreltail, Brightheart, Sandstorm, Bumblestripe, Lionblaze and Dovewing, please meet me here. Everyone else, stay close together, don't go off into the woods alone, or even in small groups. If you can't find someone, come tell us."

Without another word, she jumped down among the cats, the ones she had requested sliding through the crowd toward her and Bumblestripe was left alone. He looked down on the cats he had grown up with and silently swore to save them, no matter the cost.

When he jumped down to join Hollyleaf's council, she was in midsentence and shot him a glance as he approached, to which he responded with an abashed dip of his head.

"… As I was saying, Bumblestripe is going to stand in as a temporary deputy for right now. I trust that no one had issues with this?" There were only muted purrs of congratulations for the son of Graystripe, which quickly faded back to a tension- filled silence. "Brightheart declined my invitation to join us here, she wanted to go search for her kits." Sandstorm and Sorreltail nodded, both experienced mothers and understood what the multi-colored she-cat was going through. Sorreltail had found her kits after running into the forest herself, and had asked Ferncloud to care for them for now."

"The matter at hand I wanted to discuss was how we are going to contact the other Clans around the Lake. I am afraid to leave the Clan under-guarded, but the patrols need to be big enough to take on Dark Forest warriors if they meet any. I would have the whole Clan move- as a precaution, and the amount of warriors on paw. But because we have kits, elders… and we don't know who's missing, we can't leave." She looked at her assembled council carefully. "When the sun rises Lionblaze, I want you and Dovewing to go searching for anyone in the forest." Hollyleaf's eyes were guarded as she looked at Dovewing. She knew her brothers were gifted through the stars but, through her time in the Clan, she had come to realize that the younger gray she-cat was really the third they had been waiting for. She didn't feel entirely upset about it, they were still her brothers, though it seemed like every time they tried to talk to her it was always about Ashfur. But she loved them still.

"Hollyleaf…" Sorreltail started, and then exchanged a glance with Sandstorm. "Do you think that you should go to the Moonpool?"

"It's probably the safest place for you to be, I'm sure the Clan can handle for one night. If we keep our heads down, the Dark Forest cats shouldn't be able to find us." Sandstorm elaborated, her tone dark. "It's sad that we've been reduced to hiding in our own territory."

Hollyleaf looked doubtful, her green eyes warring for once. Glancing over her shoulder, she caught Bumblepelt's gaze, who seemed to be considering it himself.

"Hollyleaf, we need our leader to be strong, the Clan can't deal with too many changes; this battle is bad enough. You need the nine lives; for the battle." Lionblaze offered, quietly.

"Hey!" A voice called, obviously annoyed, and the entire Council turned to see a gray tabby stalking toward them. When it seemed that the whole Clan was in despair, it was a shock to see a tom so irritated in a harsh time, and a refreshing breeze to Hollyleaf. "Why wasn't I invited here?" Jayfeather's disgruntled face showed only a few slices, but otherwise the medicine cat was fine.

"Sorry Jayfeather, I didn't see you," Hollyleaf purred quietly, touching noses with her brother as an apology.

"Of course you didn't," he grumbled, blue eyes flicking around as if he could actually see the other cats in the circle. "What's going on? I can feel all your confusion, it's making me dizzy. So stop it."

Sandstorm looked taken aback by the tom's harshness, but Lionblaze could hardly hold in a chuckle. He explained the dilemma quietly to Jayfeather while Sorreltail began to lick her injuries, and advise Hollyleaf how to take care of her own.

"Well then," The blind cat exploded once he got all the information. "When do we set off? If we're going to rally the Clans, ThunderClan needs a leader, with all her lives, and this is the closest to the Moonpool that we've been. The Clan is safe for now. The best we can do is leave now and return soon." Jayfeather turned to face his sister. "I assume you haven't eaten?"

The black she-cat nodded, stunned, and Jayfeather glanced around again. "Call Thornclaw, and take Lionblaze to guard you. I know you'll think that the Clan will be weaker, but right now, they're pretty safe."

"So I'll go spread the news that we're moving to the abandoned Two-leg nest," Bumblestripe volunteered. "And organize them. I'll report back to tell you how many cats are missing," he dipped his head to Hollyleaf and padded off into the crowds, his almost-silver fur vanishing quickly.

"And… my kits…" Sorreltail had grown more and more nervous through the meeting and now Hollyleaf let her go with a flick of her tail. Sandstorm followed the younger queen to go find her kits, and to see if the other queens needed help as well. Only Lionblaze and Jayfeather stayed behind with their sister.

"Hollyleaf…" Lionblaze started, and then his muzzle curled in a smile. Jayfeather was a bit calmer, but it was obvious that the medicine cat was also excited for his sister. No one had bothered on congratulating the young black she-cat yet, because under the circumstances, it was more sad than happy. Both Brambleclaw and Firestar had perished so that Hollyleaf could gain this position.

"This is what you've wanted since we were kits." Lionblaze said quietly, but warmly. Both brothers brushed along her flank and the new leader purred carefully. Her Clan may be falling apart, but their warrior spirits would always prevail. She had hope that the Clans could make it through this.

The small happy moment in the midst of the war was shattered by Bumblepelt, who worked his way toward the siblings easily. It seemed that most cats understood his status by now, and parted easily around his large frame. "Hollyleaf," he greeted, and dipped his head. But it was obvious that the stand-in deputy had other things on his mind, as his amber eyes were troubled. "I alerted the warriors that we'll be going soon, they've collected the kits, and elders… and also realized who's missing." He took a deep breath in and glanced at Lionblaze and Jayfeather.

"They're my siblings, whatever can be said in front of me can be said in front of them." Hollyleaf braced herself silently, as Bumblstripe's eyes flicked back and forth between them and finally relaxed. "Between Jayfeather and Cloudtail, they've figured that they haven't seen Millie, Birchfall, Blossomfall, Briarlight, Cherrypaw… I'm so sorry Hollyleaf, so many cats…"

The black she-cat was shocked. There seemed to be so many cats in the clearing, there couldn't possibly be five of them missing… "We'll find them. Lionblaze… Um, thank you Bumblestripe, you can go. Gather all the cats that left the clearing and get them ready to move out." It was obvious that she dismissed the would-be deputy, and by his quizzical look. She waited until the tom was out of earshot before turning back to Lionblaze. "Firestar never told the Clan about your powers? Even now?" The golden cat nodded, Jayfeather staring off sightlessly into the woods. As Hollyleaf thought about it, she could see why though. The Clan would rely too heavily on the powers given to them by StarClan instead of their own teeth and claws, or it would cause some cats to become envious.

"Never mind that, you were talking to Lionblaze?" Jayfeather butted in, obviously a bit annoyed that his sister had been ignoring him again.

"I was going to be talking to both of you, stupid furball," Hollyleaf countered. "Anyway, I can tell that Dovewing was the third that the phrophecy was talking about…what is her power?" She was genuinely curious.

Jayfeather blinked. "She can hear things," he said vaguely

"The voices of StarClan?" Hollyleaf cocked her head

"No, very far away thinks. She could hear what is going on in RiverClan right now if she wanted; we've never tested how far she could hear…" he trailed off, gazing off into the shadows again. The new leader was slightly annoyed by her brother's fuzzy-headedness. "Jayfeather, what's wrong?"

"… there was another phrophecy while you were gone." He started slowly, tail quirking back and forth furiously. "The end of the stars draws near. Three must become four to battle the darkness that lasts forever… But Hollyleaf, Firestar was the fourth. What happens now?" The medicine cat spun around to face his siblings. "Even through my powers, all I see is darkness. I must speak with StarClan as well. We must hurry."

What happens now?" The medicine cat spun around to face his siblings. "Even through my powers, all I see is darkness. I must speak with StarClan as well. We must hurry."

**A.N: Now this chapter actually made me go ask questions on Facebook to my friends XD Research! Sorry I didn't take your advice, Mean Mr. Snorlax, but you _will _have a chapter with Dovewing I think... and Jayfeather. ^^**

**I've been forgetting it before now, but I want to thank all my reviewers, **

**-Starrymists**

**-Cinderstar377**

**-eclareforever901**

**-Greenfeather of MoonClan**

**-blazelight790**

**-Mean Mr. Snorlax**

**And all my anonymous reviewers! You guys are all amazing 8)**


	8. A Necessity

**A.N: Geez, I'm sorry I've been neglecting this story so much, and then I just update with filler chapters ^.^' Thank you to all the Lurkers as well, don't think I don't see you ^^ I just hope you guys enjoy this one.**_  
_

_What happens now?" The medicine cat spun around to face his siblings. "Even through my powers, all I see is darkness. I must speak with StarClan as well. We must hurry."_

The Clan were on their feet now, Hollyleaf and Bumblestripe leading the way through the dark forest without a sound. Their eyes gleamed in the hazy moonlight, as the round silver globe itself began to fall through the sky, searching the shadows for a glimpse of the threat that stalked them. Though the trails beneath their paws were familiar, and the trees offered shelter- even marks of the few generations that only knew the land by the lake. No matter how many happy memories of warm greenleafs and fresh newleafs, the land the crowds of felines tread upon now felt cold and alien. The very territory itself felt hostile and dark to the touch, like the den of a feral animal.

"It's just up ahead," Poppyfrost muttered to Molepaw, who clung to her side like a burr. Thornclaw tread beside Brightheart, carrying one of her kittens. Mousefur and Purdy stumbled along in the center of the group, along with the older kits, Lilykit and Seedkit- whose mother trailed behind closely.

"Hollyleaf, we have to hurry up," Bumblestripe whispered. It was eerie, walking in complete silence in a giant crowd like this. Even on the way to Gatherings, there was rustling and a few quiet conversations, maybe two of the apprentices would run off and rejoin the group later after a few midnight hunts. But now the cats huddled together, afraid of the unknown and taking comfort only in the warmth radiating from the pelt beside them. "It's fraying on my nerves."

"Mm." Hollyleaf replied, not in the mood to talk as she scanned the bushes and the thin trail between them ahead. If they were ambushed, it would be because of her lack of observational skills; if she could help it there would be no more lives lost today. '_But what about tomorrow? And the next day? If this was just the beginning, in order to drive these cats out, there will be many more casualties. In all the Clans'_

The entire Clan had been walking with only their thoughts for company for a long time before the shadow of the abandoned Two-leg nest loomed out of the dark. Almost all the time before now, the cats would shy away from the smooth walls and cracked holes in the sides, but now they filed inside with a suppressed feeling, sniffing the tension-filled air with tails lashing.

"Cloudtail, Sandstorm, Bumblestripe" Hollyleaf summoned, staring into the supposedly empty blackness. "Scout the whole place, the upper level and this one. I don't want any surprises."

The cats she had ordered slunk off while the Clan waited just outside, blinking fearfully and pressing themselves to the ground in the lack of shelter. Though the brambles and ferns had returned to choke out the neatly trimmed grass that had grown wild and tall, there were no trees to offer shelter from prying eyes. And a mob of cats made a sizeable gap in the tall fronds of the clearing.

Cloudtail's bright face reappeared, his short muzzle and bright blue eyes shadowed by the blood dripping down his face. "It's clear on the upper ground."

"Same for this one, there's a few mice scurrying around, but some of the cats could do with a meal." Sandstorm confirmed, coming up to her nephew-in-law's shoulder.

"Where did Bumblestripe go?" Hollyleaf asked as she started waving her Clanmtaes through the door with her tail. They streamed in quickly, like shadows themselves, with fluid motion in order to get themselves away from the light as fast as possible.

"It looked like he was checking out all the holes and the area around the nest…" Cloudtail said, shepherding Brightheart and Molepaw, Poppyfrost and Rosepetal, who carried her children in their jaws in order to move quickly. The kittens were being extremely good, it seemed like they hadn't made a noise yet, as if they were sensing the silence that enveloped their parents and Clan.

Hollyleaf nodded quickly. "One last thing Cloudtail, could you find Thornclaw for me? And both my brothers." The cat looked a bit exasperated, but nodded and exchanged a few words with his mate before disappearing into the nest. Hollyleaf took his spot and walked in with Brightheart, steering her toward the odd hill that led upward. After prompting the queen and her escorts, she ascended the hill quickly. "All queens and elders go up," the whisper-shout could be heard easily in the almost-silence and soon Sorreltail appeared to go up, followed by Mousefur who had Seedkit in her mouth. Purdy, normally the chattering starling of the group, was subdued greatly as he followed. Hollyleaf expected Ferncloud to try and join them, but the gray spotted she-cat was nowhere in sight.

"Hollyleaf," Bumblestripe greeted from behind her, "The area around the nest is clear too. For now," He added darkly. Then sat back on his haunches. "Hollyleaf… you said that Cloudtail was more experienced than me and now that we know who's missing…"

"Bumblestripe, not now." The black she-cat rolled her eyes. "If we survive the battle, I will tell you my final decision. But for now, I'm not even your leader." The younger cat lowered his head, eyes flitting to the side and the black she-cat sighed. She didn't mean to be hard on the tom, but her brothers were still missing and moonhigh was not far away at all. "Look, Bumblestripe," She started, her tone gentler, "You're a very able cat. I feel that Firestar didn't give enough of the apprentices to the younger warriors. I feel that my… grandfather… ignored some of the most able warriors; even Cloudtail hasn't had an apprentice either for StarClan's sake. For right now, the Clan just needs someone to look to. You may be that cat, you may not be, and your own actions will decide that. But I don't want to discuss this until after this entire Dark Forest war is over." Hoping that she had salvaged his feelings, Hollyleaf pushed past him to meet Thornclaw and Lionblaze who were coming out of the crowd. "It's time to go, we need to leave." Her desperation started showing through.

"It's okay Hollyleaf, we'll go. It's okay." Lionblaze flicked his tail and Thornclaw silently followed the two siblings, out of the nest to leave Cloudtail, Sandstorm and Bumblestripe in charge. '_The faster I leave, the faster I get back,' _Hollyleaf promised herself. '_I won't leave them again after this.'_

"Did you see Jayfeather in there?" Lionblaze quietly asked Thornclaw. The older warrior shook his head; he had become quiet after the death of his brother, and hadn't even grieved with Brightheart at his body during the brief pause between fighting. Actually, Lionblaze wasn't sure if he'd heard the tom talk too much at all since he was… an apprentice maybe?

A familiar gray shape emerged from the shadows of the Two-leg nest, and trotted over to the party. No words were spoken as they moved like shadows down a trail into the depths of the forest, heading toward the open moors of WindClan territory. The patrol skirted actual Clan territory and headed north until the trees were unrecognizable and monotonous. The warriors couldn't help but glance around, paranoia weighing on their minds until each cat's pelt bristled with fear, and the air around them was thick with the heavy scent. Eventually the babbling of a stream caught all their attentions, and the overall pace picked up until all of them were rushing through the woods, dodging bushes and stringy bittersweet vines. They burst out of the cover of the trees to a grassy bank, and had to stop short in order to avoid sending Hollyleaf over the edge. Lionblaze pulled Jayfeather back from the abrupt edge quickly and the three of them stared at the source of the MoonPool.

It wasn't an exaggeration that the water literally glowed with moonlight, though the silver globe was at its zenith of the night as well. The water was crystal clear, the reflection of the stars were almost perfectly mirrored in the smooth liquid. It seemed that even in the dark, any of the viewers could see straight down to the bottom, with the clearest details visible too. It was an astounding sight to say the least, and the three cats that could see were gawking openly at the stream. Jayfeather was twitching his ears back and forth, his whiskers quivering as he sniffed delicately. It was obvious that he could sense something as well, something that the other cats couldn't sense. "Let's go, we need to get to the Moonpool before Moonhigh ends. I don't know what will happen if we don't."

The small group continued on, slithering from one shadow to another, following the pure river that murmured to them from inside its gulley, almost like whispers from the stars themselves. Hollyleaf felt her breath shortening and her paws trembling as the bushes thinned and it was easier to walk, as the grass became withered and stunted. Jayfeather took the lead through some thorny brambles, leading them around the edge of the hollow with a confidence born of practice.

Because they approached from the back of the hollow, it was a bit harder for the gray tabby to lead the patrol, but they all got to the pool relatively unharmed. Lioblaze and Thornclaw chose to stay at the top of the hollow to guard. Jayfeather led Hollyleaf to the sloping ramp downward, dimpled with impressions of the generations that had come before to this hollow. It was a miracle that they hadn't been smoothed away by time and rain, but it seems it was proof of StarClan's power over this place. "When we get down to the center, you lie down and touch your nose to the water." Jayfeather murmured to his sister. Though she was anxious to get back to the battleground, this sacred place seemed so peaceful and… quiet that it was wrong to run, to rush. For once… she felt safe and welcome. When Hollyleaf returned to the Clans, it was obvious that none of the cats received her well, and because of that, she felt like a shadow in the Clan she once knew. Cats gave her weird looks and avoided her- or just straight up ignored her- other than her family. This was the first time she felt warm and safe…

"Don't forget that the Dark Forest cats can get in here. Breezepelt and Brokenstar almost killed me one Half-moon," Her brother murmured, his fur standing on edge. Immediately Hollyleaf's warm feelings disappeared and she glanced around sharply, alert for danger once more. From a strategic viewpoint, they were in a hole, with one way out, and an uncountable amount of enemies outside, searching for them.

"Here," Jayfeather mewed, feeling the edge of the pool with his paws, the river rushing past them out of the hollow on one side, and the shallow pool directly in front of his paws. The waterfall that filled the religious place had turned silver in the moonlight, and the water literally looked like starlight flooding downward to earth.

Above their heads, the moon was beginning to shift downward in the darkness, obscured just a little by clouds. "I hope this will still work," he seemed to sense that the moon was not as powerful as it should have been. "I've never heard of a leader ceremony when it was not Moonhigh. But…" He kneeled down awkwardly, and Hollyleaf felt a stab of pity for her brother. Though it was now habit for him, the thought that he couldn't see the beauty of the place that they sat in made her sad. She joined him shortly, gracefully tucking her paws under her, and wrapping her tail around her body as well, before watching Jayfeather touch the surface of the puddle with his nose and settle back. He licked the droplet that hung from his wet gray nose before his eyes closed and his body stiffened- so very different from regular sleep.

Hollyleaf hesitated for a moment, her ears twitching back and forth as she stared down, but unlike the stream, she couldn't see the bottom of the Moonpool. Only the starry oblivion of the sky above her looked back, and her black fur that looked like a piece itself. "StarClan…" She murmured, her breath stirring ripples on the water, which warred with the splashes of the waterfall, "Please accept me." And with that, she craned her neck to touch the water.

As soon as she touched, the world began to fade, a grayness swirling like smoke around her vision. Her limbs felt tired and heavy, and she slowly licked up a few drops of the liquid as well. Its taste was ice-cold, like the water she had found deep in the tunnels. Somehow, it tasted as though the water had never seen sunlight, and yet it was the same water that carried life down through the WindClan territory as well. Hollyleaf settled back on her paws, like her brother, as ice crept up her body. She was freezing solid, the breath in her lungs escaping and every hair on her pelt stilled as she gave into the fog that was clouding her mind.

**A.N: Sooooo... Boring... Ugh, well we get to see the state that StarClan's in... I'm sorry, I promised dead cats every chapter in the beginning didn't I? Broke that last chapter, and this chapter xP Well you'll get some next chapter... One way or another ;) **

**It's snowing here so I should update relatively quick, thanks for your patience ^^**


	9. And the Ashes fall

**A.N: Yay! That's three chapters in four days 8D This marks the end of that though, back to school tomorrow and such. Enjoy!**

'"_StarClan…" She murmured, her breath stirring ripples on the water, which warred with the splashes of the waterfall, "Please accept me."And with that, she craned her neck to touch the water._

Hollyleaf woke to a mourning howl, and jumped to her feet, frightened. She would've always thought that StarClan would be… a paradise; with trees in eternal bloom and bountiful prey everywhere. Cats that died in the cold clutches of Leaf-bare would grow fat on the starry creatures that had as well. But what she was met with reminded her more of the Dark Forest… maybe not even a forest.

The scene the soon-to-be-leader was met with was burnt and dead; there were four trees that seemed dead, their trunks scarred by flames and the branches bare of leaves and smaller twigs. The forest beyond seemed black and deserted, with a blanket of ash along the forest floor where the leaves would be. There were no starry warriors, no sign of life anywhere really. She glanced down at herself, and only saw her regular black fur. She was not dead, but she wasn't dreaming… was she? Wasn't visiting StarClan always a dream? Squirrelflight always told her that she could do anything in a dream…

The green-eyed cat hesitated, then closed her eyes and imagined a bird. A Magpie to be exact, and just its wings. She wanted the wings on herself, she wanted to fly. When she opened her eyes again, she looked over her shoulders. They sank when she saw that nothing had changed, and then lashed her tail at her own foolish behavior. It was unnatural that she would even be able to do that, she did not have special powers. But there was probably someplace in her that still wished that she was one of the Three…

"Hello?" A tiny voice called. Hollyleaf turned quickly in the direction of it. From among the piles of ash, there came a small noise, and a pair of ears vanished. She slid down into a hunters crouch and silently prowled forward, ears pricked for another sound.

"Shhh!" Another voice mewled. "Yellowfang said we'd be in trouble if we started talking."

"Well I could take a Dark Forest Warrior any day!" The first voice boasted quietly, and the sound of a scuffled followed.

"You would be dead before you could unsheathe your claws," Another kit said; Hollyleaf could guess that they were all female by their voices. "Mosskit, you haven't been here for as long as Nightkit and I have." The stern voice whispered again.

"Hello?" Hollyleaf meowed, standing up to look over the pile of ash that was hiding the three kits.

Squeals followed by a cloud of ash were the only signs they had heard her. When she got closer, she noticed that the kits were gone. "…Hello?" She tried again, "I'm not a Dark Forest cat. I'm from ThunderClan. I…I'm going to be leader."

"ThunderClan!" A voice spoke quietly, from above her. She looked up as three little starry kits leapt off a high branch above her. She bit back a yowl as they fell downward, only to be surprised when they seemed to jump and land on surfaces that… just weren't there. Stardust fell from their paws where it seemed they jumped off, and Hollyleaf blinked to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

"We're from ThunderClan!" The white-and-gray kit mewled proudly, standing on the air in front of her, just at eye level. "I'm Mosskit, and these are Nightkit and Mistkit!" She blinked warmly, her blue eyes eager. "Normally we have Snowkit with us too, but he went off somewhere with Swiftpaw and Shrewpaw. They're ThunderClan too! There're a lot of ThunderClan cats here." She mewled happily, glancing around. The little she-kit continued to list many other cats- both kits and apprentices- that Hollyleaf had never heard of, but could assume were long-dead ThunderClan cats… maybe all the way back into the Old Forest and beyond. A thought struck her as she continued to ignore the excited kitten by her feet. Was Firestar here?

"Mosskit," She interrupted softly, attempting not to offend the little she-kit, "Where are all the warriors? I need to get back to the Clan… they're in danger."

"Well StarClan's in danger too." The kit pouted, not too enthusiastic when she realized that the older cat wasn't paying attention. "They've been fighting the Dark Forest cats. The oldest ones. Mom said that they could break through the inter-dimensional pathways and transport through to the other side using these weird kinds of gamma rays that can move atoms and place them all back in the same order that they were found in. But they really need a spot of gamma rays like that, a portal if you will, in order to move from one to the other." The white and gray kit cocked her head adorably, staring up at the black warrior.

Hollyleaf just stared back at the kit. "What…? But how…? They did…" She sputtered, green eyes closing to slits. What was this kit spouting? Well the middle part couldn't be important, it just sounded made-up. A kit story, right! She backtracked to some of the things that made sense. "When did this whole thing start?"

The simple question implied a simple answer, but the kit cocked her head again, whiskers twitching. "There is no time here. Nor is there really time anywhere. You see, most cats believe that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but really, from up here, you look at it from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint… it's like a big ball of wibbley-wobbley, timey-wimey… stuff"

Hollyleaf just blinked, her brain running in circles that never seemed to make sense. She ignored the answer… and tried another, even simpler question. "Who's your mother, Mosskit?"

"Bluestar," She mewed, blue eyes innocent and wide. "She was the leader before your granddad. He was her apprentice." She giggled, and Mistkit did too. The two darker cats seemed younger, but they had more stars in their pelt. Did that mean they had died young? Younger than even Mosskit?

"Okay, can you tell me where Bluestar is?" The black cat was never very good with kits, and as it turned out, especially now with this one. "Mosskit glanced up silently, staring for a while. Hollyleaf was just about to ask her question again when all the kits' ears pricked and they scampered back into the shadows of the burnt trees.

"Here she comes, but I don't think she will want to talk…" Mosskit murmured, and rolled in a cloud of ash until her pelt was camouflaged perfectly. Hollyleaf backed away from where the kits were hiding, staring up into the star-speckled sky that was hazy with smoke. She couldn't see anything and squinted to maybe make out what the kits saw. "Mosskit…"

A flare lit the sky suddenly, and a sonic wave was literally visible as two shapes appeared against the dark backdrop. One with a white outline, clear through the middle and glowing blue eyes; the other was dark, more of a shadow with mists rolling around them and red eyes. Hollyleaf reeled back as the figures flew across the sky, trailing sparking and smoke like shooting stars themselves, leaping and bounding off invisible surfaces where they fought with claws and teeth. Wounds opened and instead of blood, white and black fire poured onto the ground. It rained around the black cat and she flinched back from the flames. They fell right on her, but didn't burn; yet the ground beneath her smoldered and burst into flame as well, dark sapphire flames born of the blood of the angels and demons that fought above it. They spat and snarled quietly, yet the sounds reverated like thunder and their forms flickered like flames in a wind. It was otherworldly to witness the fight between pure good and evil, the way that no mortal cat would see their ancestor. Yet the cat that stood on Firestar's shoulder and ruled the Clan in the darkest time of the old Forest, was an outline of pure, scorching energy that battled quite physically in the air above her. Eventually the white cat struck through the dark one and it died with a flash of light and a whisper of sound. The cat stared around with its burning eyes, trying to spot its next enemy in the sky.

"..B-bluestar?" Hollyleaf choked out, staring at the apparition. It reacted with lightening speed, streaking down like a comet to the ground where Hollyleaf stood.

"That was once my name, yes." She murmured, the white form filling out with a hue of gray-blue, the blue eyes darkened and developed a vertical pupil. The general glow around the figure dulled and spread to act as stars in the elder she-cat's pelt, though she looked no older than Hollyleaf herself, maybe even younger. "Hollyleaf?" She blinked, surprised. "What are you doing here? Only Medicine Cats and Leaders meet with StarClan… and right now we're in the middle of some… trouble."

It struck a chord in the black cat that the StarClan leader didn't know what was going on in the forest… below? "Bluestar, there's a war going on at the Lake." She prompted, worried. "Cats have been dying everywhere. Firestar…" She choked slightly, and the blue leader tipped her head to the side, her eyes glowing wisely. "We are aware of the trouble below us, don't worry. But StarClan requires protection as well. The Dark Forest cats have invaded us everywhere, on every level of the Clan."

A lonely wind seemed to whistle through the treetops, and it was unnervingly silent in the wood as Hollyleaf's fur fluffed in fear. "I thought StarClan was untouchable. That you were safe!"

"Far from it, my friend. We are under attack just as the Clans below. You didn't wonder why there are stars in the home of StarClan themselves? There is a place where the dead and forgotten go. We do not know where, yet we fight for your way of life. Without us, the Clans would perish."

Hollyleaf nodded slowly. "Then you know why I'm here?" She watched the past leader gaze at her, turning her head slowly to look off into the distance again. "It is not yet your time."

"What?!" The black cat bristled, the tension inside her blowing outward with her fur. "Bluestar, I need to get back to my Clan. I need to lead them, Brambleclaw appointed me himself in the crowd when Tigerstar had killed Firestar. When I was born, all I could think of was leading my Clan. This is why I didn't take a mate for this long, why I didn't stay in the tunnels! I left my responsibility and heart with ThunderClan when I left, and I couldn't live without that feeling. But I'm here now, I'm ready to serve them until I die, and you're telling me that you aren't going to let me?"

"You think that this war revolves around you?" The spirit snapped, eyes blazing as it seemed as if it was slowly transforming back into the silhouette she had seen flying through the sky, delivering divine justice. "Without the gods of your world, _us_, you will truly not last long in this battle. We stand by and guide you, we are the reason your leaders have nine lives; we predict the future and brace you for what is to come."

"You can't claim that much power over us, you cannot walk in our dreams, teach us to fight. Even now you let your own kin be slaughtered below! If you have the power to give us nine lives, why are you dying, here in the stars? Why couldn't you stop this war before it began?!" Hollyleaf hissed, on her feet and staring heatedly at the dead cat now. "Without us to believe in you, how do you have any power in the first place? You can't predict the future, and it seems that half of your prophecies are too vague or too easy to misunderstand. You couldn't help the Clans in the mountains, _you couldn't even stop my mother from mating._ You think you have power? Let the Clans perish, let us see how much power you have then, milling about in this wasteland with no one to believe in you. Let the cats that _died_ ask you why you couldn't come down and help, why you couldn't save them, their kits or their friends, when they see the _Dark Forest cats _doing what you cannot." Her black tail lashed back and forth, ears flat against her head. How could the cats that she had believed in her entire life be so cold? Letting the cats that she loved die below them was just as bad as going down and slitting their throats themselves.

Bluestar hesitated, staring at the rebellious black she-cat before gazing upward again. "It is true that our prophecies regarding this battle have been… quite…" The cat trailed off, her tail tip twitching with agitation. "We believed that the powers of the Three would be enough to save the Clans. But yet without us, and the rules that we laid down for the Clans at the beginning of our time, the Clans would be a group of rogues, eternally fighting each other without a Code. "Her eyes flickered to the black cat. "We are extremely mindful of how you love the Warrior Code, Hollyleaf." It seemed that the spirit smirked before becoming serious again. "But, as our prophecies seemed to be false… I'm afraid you have to fend for yourselves." She sighed, her gaze sharpening. "We could award you your nine lives, but as you can see, we don't have enough cats here to award you them. I'm sorry, but you'll have to return to your Clan without them. There is only darkness here, no hope."

The cat looked ready to jump off into the sky again, and Hollyleaf blinked, astounded that her ancestors had given up so quickly. If this was who her future was in the paws of…

"Mom, why would you tell her that?" A small voice mewed, and a shadow moved. Out came Mosskit, her eyes the only thing that weren't covered in gray-white ash. The little kit sniffled and then sneezed, sending a cloud of the stuff floating in the air around her, revealing some of the white splashes on her pelt. "We… we can give her lives." She revealed, glancing between her mother and Hollyleaf, who gained a new respect for the little she-cat. "She wants to save ThunderClan, Mom. She's one of us."

Bluestar's pelt had faded, her eyes blazing once more as she looked back to her kitten. "Mosskit…"

"I can do it, Mom!" She sprang forward, rushing past Hollyleaf's paws to address the old leader. "Just let me try, I gave one to Firestar, why can't I give one to Hollyleaf? We have three cats here, and you make four. Swiftpaw and Snowkit will be back soon, and… and…" The kit spun, looking through the carnage of what had to used to be a giant forest, searching for anyone to help her.

"We can help." A soft voice whispered across the wind and it picked up suddenly. The cats' eyes were drawn to the sky as the stars above swirled and brightened, until they formed into three cats padding down the air toward the group of she-cats. Who should appear but Firestar himself, his faint orange pelt looking like flame itself; following him were other cats Hollyleaf knew- Squirrelflight, Leafpool, Millie, Brackenfur, and Brambleclaw. Each pelt made her heart ache a little bit more, but she welcomed the cats that walked down a trail of stardust to her.

Firestar looked at his mentor with quiet assurance. "Bluestar, we can give her her lives, you return to the battle. And take these cats with you, teach them." He motioned to Spiderleg, Icecloud, Graystripe, Birchfall and Dustpelt. Hollyleaf briefly stepped forward to touch noses with Birchfall, who had been missing in the Two-leg nest, but now it was obvious what his fate had been. She also took the time to catch the eye of Millie, who had also been missing, and Squirrelflight.

The group with Bluestar moved off, leaping into the sky to vanish into a brightness that appeared in the sky. When Hollyleaf turned back to her friends, she noticed they had formed a circle, and she faced her grandfather, sitting with her tail drawn around her paws. The tom had been revitalized to a younger form of himself, and he opened his bright green eyes, the same that Hollyleaf had, and said, "Let's begin."

**A.N: So... that's two dead. Not bloody, yea. Sorry ^^ So thanks to Tonto for the reviews, I'm sorry that Firestar was your favorite, and I will do a chapter by Jayfeather later, as well as Dovewing.**


	10. Forgiveness Attempted

**A.N: Hello, my wonderful readers :) Time for another update, oh yay! Now, as a forewarning I do have to say that there are no deaths in this... well. no graphic deaths. Sorry ^^' **

**To Graywhisper: I have included your favorite character here, so you can say good-bye to him properly**

_'The tom had been revitalized to a younger form of himself, and he opened his bright green eyes, the same that Hollyleaf had, and said, "Let's begin."_

Hollyleaf swallowed nervously, and glanced at the starry figures that stood around her. "How do…?" Her question trailed off as a translucent cloud of ash puffed from the paws of the StarClan cats as they settled on their haunches, eyes glowing intelligently. But where Hollyleaf felt that she should be the center of their attention- it was not narcissism but a feeling of tradition- the cats seemed distracted. Of the cats that remained, Firestar sat in front of her with his two daughters by his side and his deputy to the other. Other assorted members of ThunderClan stood around her too, and the kits that had greeted her originally. All of them formed a kind of circle, though the kits didn't seem to participate. This left Hollyleaf to wonder if there were enough cats at all.

"We will show you the way." The voice that came from the group seemed like one, but Firestar was the only one with his mouth open. The kind leader's demeanor had changed and he looked… not older, but wiser almost? The dark she-cat suddenly felt very small, and very unfit for the position that Brambleclaw had given her. "Through tradition, Brambleclaw will be the last to give you a life, as he appointed you. I will start." The cat stepped forward, his green eyes glowing, almost burning Hollyleaf as she attempted to avoid his gaze. But she found that she couldn't move, and was forced to look into the seemingly flickering depths of her kins' eyes. He stopped just a pawstep in front of her, and Hollyleaf noticed that his fur looked bristled and uneven in places, like a silent wind was pushing it aside.

"Hollyleaf, my grandchild," he murmured, and his breath was like a freezing winter wind; it smelled of ice and smoke, darkness and light. "I always wished that you were one of the Three, when you returned, I hoped you were the Fourth. But it seems that not even the powers of StarClan could help the Clans in this dark time. We couldn't save you with the power of the stars, we couldn't see into the future- all our prophecies have broken to pieces and even the Three are not enough to save the Clans. We were foolish to think that the power of the darkness would only match our own. So now, I give you this life of Integrity. You believe in the Warrior Code and that is all that the Clan has to live on right now. They need the belief that they will get through this, even in their darkest hour." Firestar closed the little space between them and touched her nose with his.

Hollyleaf froze, the power rushing through her body like a river coursing, rushing down a streambed that had been dry before. It was pain and happiness at once, the glowing emotion that felt like it was burning her fur off and warming her inside. The black she-cat refused to move as the pain shook through her bones and made her tail bush. She barely noticed when Firestar stepped away and backed into the circle again. It was obvious that he didn't like hurting her, but the pride in his eyes made Hollyleaf feel stronger.

Brackenfur was next, and Hollyleaf purred happily to see her mentor alive and well again. Though her muscles still quivered from the shock of her first life, she stepped forward to push her head into his shoulder. The fur that touched her was soft, almost not even there really. Hollyleaf wasn't sure if she really wanted to try and touch his actual body- in fear that he wouldn't be solid.

"Hello Hollyleaf," his eyes crinkled as he looked at the cat that he had once changed from an attempted medicine cat to a warrior under his guidance. "I had never dreamed that you would ascend to a leader, but I'm so happy you did." His whiskers twitched as well as his tail in joy. "So I'm here to give you a life, to help lead your new Clan." He touched his nose to hers, his soft tone that had previously been used strengthened back to the voice she heard so many times calling her out of the apprentice den. "With this life, I give you clear Vision. Use this to predict the future of your Clan, even when StarClan cannot help you and to convince others that they can make it, even when it seems impossible." This energy was swifter, blowing her back a step. The pain was fierce, but it was less physical, and more emotional. Horror and fear, as potent as if she was on a Thunderpath with a monster bearing down on her, flooded her body and grated on her every nerve until she felt like she would wretch. Brackenfur touched her shoulder in condolence as she calmed her racing heart. "I know you'll be a great leader," he laughed, "Just don't go chasing anymore foxes." Hollyleaf chuckled as well, and then her mentor nodded farewell, backing away to join the other StarClan cats. She hadn't thought of his death and now she was a bit sad; Brackenfur had been a great warrior and had plenty of experience, even if he was one of the more senior cats.

The next cat was an unexpected one- Raggedstar of ShadowClan. Hollyleaf hadn't noticed the shaggy old tomcat approach, but now that she took another look, she noticed that Mothwing of RiverClan also had joined the circle. A pang shot through her at seeing the newly-dead medicine cat, who nodded to her in greeting, though it wasn't time for her to step forward yet.

"I think that this is a surprise to you," The long-deceased ShadowClan leader rumbled, his huge frame towering over the black she-cat, making her look slight in comparison. "Though if you think about it, it shouldn't be. You helped restore faith to my Clan when Sol tried to divert them. It is truly the strength of belief in the Clan that holds them together, and without you and your brothers, there would be no ShadowClan to guide now. For that I must thank you again." He dipped his massive head down, and like the mane of a lion, the dark fur silhouetted his head like the rays of a dark sun. "With this life I give you Faith. Use it to keep your Clan together and strong through their belief in their ancestors and in you."

This life was less jarring as it flowed into her and, instead of pain; Hollyleaf was left with a sense of wholeness as she nodded gratefully to the elder cat. He retreated back to the circle like the other two had, and it was Mothwing's turn now. Her amber eyes glittered nervously as she stepped forward, but instead of the timid cat that Hollyleaf remembered from the RiverClan camp just a few seasons ago, when she had gone to visit, this she-cat was much more confident. Though a light of amazement seemed to glow around her like an aura, she was standing right in front of the soon-to-be leader, though in life she hadn't believed in the starry ancestors she now walked among.

"Hollyleaf," She nodded courteously, amber eyes bright. "I see now that you were right; there is a StarClan, and they are merciful to bring me here. I am here to give you a life, as you expect." She smiled gently. "Thank you for coming to my Clan, even though it broke your laws. Sometimes rules need to be broken in order for the community to function." She nervously touched noses with the black cat. "With this life, I give you Courage; this will help you have the power to do what you know is right, even when the rules prohibit it." Hollyleaf felt the blast of power, but behind it was an emptiness, a foreign-ess. She didn't know how to describe it, but it slowly changed into the excitement and love that she had associated with being around her Clanmates. But always there was a doubt that grew and grew. A blast of adrenaline and pain… and the doubt disappeared to wonder. The black she-cat blinked, confused. Mothwing was gone already, and Squirrelflight had taken a single step forward.

"Mothwing?" Hollyleaf called, turning to try and see the tan she-cat. But the medicine cat wouldn't catch her eyes. It dawned on her that the emotions she had felt along with the life may have been Mothwing's… all the way up to her death and ascent to StarClan. The foreign feeling that came from being born a rogue and pushed into a Clan, eventually being accepted and freed from Hawkfrost, the doubt that StarClan existed and the amazement that came with learning that it did. Instead of questioning her again, Hollyleaf blinked, and nodded slowly to the cat. She understood now.

Squirrelflight cleared her throat nervously as Hollyleaf turned back to her. "Hello," She half smiled to the black she-cat. Hollyleaf dipped her head in return, unsure of what to feel when faced with her adopted mother. The she-cat that had lied to her for more than half of her life, and broken two toms' hearts, putting her children in danger through her own actions.

"I hope… that you can forgive me." The older ginger cat began, her white paws scuffling in the ash that coated the ground. "I was trying to protect you from the consequences of being born, so that you didn't have a bad kithood. Your mother couldn't take care of you…" She shot a glance at Leafpool, who watched steadily, amber eyes guilty. "I just how that you can see why I had to do it." She moved to touch noses with the black she-cat, and Hollyleaf pulled back, looking at Squirrelflight with confusion. "Squirrelflight, I know that you hid our identities to save us from ridicule, but… I feel that if I had known earlier… It would have been better. I wouldn't have reacted the way I did that night. The night I left." Her paws mimicked the older cat's, disturbing the piles of soot. "I was hurt. I was brash. There were secrets everywhere, everyone was talking about it. About _me._ I… I don't want to just be a story the Clans repeat to their kits because my parents broke the code." Her voice cracked slightly in the middle of her sentence, and her tail quivered.

"You were confused. Everyone gets confused, Hollyleaf." Leafpool spoke up, and with some hesitation, also joined Squirrelflight in the middle of the circle. A few hisses greeted her action, but Leafpool held her head high as she approached her daughter. "I understand that you didn't know what to feel. No one should be put into a situation like you were."

"Then why did you do it?" Hollyleaf said quietly, her eyes narrowing though the sadness in her voice was apparent. "Why did you lie to us? It didn't protect us, you don't understand; I grew up thinking that the Warrior Code was the only thing that really mattered. That as long as you followed it, you were doing the right thing. But all these secrets came up; the entire Clan was full of them! We shouldn't keep secrets, they tore us apart!" her voice rose in anger, then dropped suddenly. "They tore me apart. I didn't know who to trust… I couldn't speak with StarClan and not even my own mother wanted me." She stilled silently as Leafpool pressed her nose to Hollyleaf's.

"With this life, I give you Love." She mewled quietly, eyes shining with sadness. "Use it to choose who to tell, what to tell, and how to keep your Clan- your family- from falling apart."

Hollyleaf tried to ignore the warm feeling that coursed through her body, focusing on Leafpool's emotions like Mothwing had done. Maybe she could understand her mother that way? The younger cat closed her eyes and opened her mind to the energy the StarClan cat was giving her. The love for Crowfeather, the knowledge that they couldn't be together, but the lines that the Great Journey had left behind still tangible. She didn't expect to have kits. Being the only medicine cat helped, no one could tell the difference. No one looked for it. Squirrelflight helped her give birth, in the snow. The pain was intense, one of the kits died in the cold. Three were left, with unusual coloring. Two like Crowfeather, one like her father.

Hollyleaf only got partial thoughts, snippets of ideas, feelings. But she saw herself growing, maybe taking on the path of a medicine cat? Leafpool desperately wanted to be near her kits. She and Squirrelflight fought many times over telling them. They were apprentices now, Leafpool was happy that they had all survived the foxes, though she knew Jaypaw could never become a warrior. She and Squirrelflight fought again, and during the Daylight Gathering she asked Crowfeather. No one wanted to tell them, Leafpool felt the tension building. Ashfur died, Leafpool felt shocked. Why did her daughter kill him? Yellowfang had warned her that the children of a medicine cat… The thought was cut off as Leafpool pulled away quickly. "You see?" She asked, though her fur was raised slightly in apprehension. "I wanted to tell you, I wanted you to know. My existence was not untouched by these secrets as well. By the time you were a warrior, it was too late, and I knew you would reject me. Your contempt for me burned, your hatred made me feel guilty. It was truly torturous to go on living and be stripped of the position I worked so hard for. And then you disappeared and it hurt so much…" Leafpool choked quietly, and turned away, padding sullenly back toward the other cats. Hollyleaf watched her go in silence, lacking empathy for the past medicine cat.

Squirrelflight looked troubled, and touched noses with the black she-cat quickly. "With this life I give you Acceptance. Things will change and trouble you, but have the will to work past them and you become stronger." Hollyleaf barely registered the pain that prickled at her heart- probably a reflection of Squirrelflight's own emotions as well- as the ginger she-cat pulled away and padded to her sister, whispering quietly in her ear.

The black she-cat looked around the circle, her eyes slightly wet as she searched for the cat that would give her her next life. No cat stirred, and for the next few heartbeats, everything was still as everyone held their breath. Finally Brambleclaw spoke.

"That is only seven lives," he mewed with confusion, looking to Firestar. "Where is the eighth cat?"

Firestar looked confused as well, and craned his neck to gaze at each of the cats in turn. "Maybe StarClan has deemed that because Hollyleaf took a life that she will only receive eight of her nine lives."

Hollyleaf shook as she was reminded of the dark time in her life. She had been desperate and angry and confused, yet she still couldn't remember how she couldconvince herself to kill a Clanmate.

"Wait," Mothwing murmured, looking over Firestar's shoulder. There, in the shadows of a dead tree, stood a figure. One that was familiar to all the ThunderClan cats in the circle, and became even more apparent as he stepped forward. Hollyleaf shuddered with guilt, and Squirrelflight flicked her tail with nervous energy. Brambleclaw dipped his head hesitantly as the cat stepped into the circle, his blue eyes shining healthily. No one had said a word and all that could be heard was the whisper of a dead wind through stunted trees when he spoke.

"Hollyleaf, I have come to give you your eighth life."

The black cat was stunned, but found her voice. "Thank you, Ashfur."

**A.N: Come on, you had to have seen that coming! Next chapter soon. Sorry if this one was confusing ):**


	11. Tragedy of the Stars

**A/N: Wow, I didn't see that I forgot to actually edit this chapter before I left it out, well thank god highlighting doesn't show up on FanFic or else the story would be wrecked ;) **

_"Hollyleaf, I have come to give you your eighth life."_

_ The black cat was stunned, but found her voice. "Thank you, Ashfur."_

The grey cat in front of her dipped his head in acceptance. His blue eyes were completely at ease, so different than when she had last seen him in life, when he had tried to fend off the black cat that excelled in battle skills. His silvery coat, speckled with grey, was unruffled, untouched by the wind, ash or environment in general. "Hollyleaf, how good to see you again," He murmured, whiskers twitching slightly. "Especially because the last time I did see you, you were creeping over a rock and plunging your claws into my neck." He mewed smoothly.

Hollyleaf flinched backward, her ears lowering slowly in shame. "I'm sorry Ashfur, I was confused and you were going to make my life so much worse…"  
"So that gives you the right to end mine?!" Ashfur suddenly snarled in her face, fur bristling. "I was only going to reveal the truth, and from what you were just saying, you wanted that, right? No more secrets in the Clan?" His tail lashed and the StarClan cats in the circle became perturbed, Brambleclaw had a growl rising in his throat that Firestar quickly hushed. It seemed that this act also made the StarClan cats that had not been seen before fretful, as they began materializing silently in the air, a cloud of stardust that masked definite details. "You can't be StarClan, Hollyleaf. You don't choose who dies, and who lives. All you get to choose is who hurts in your life."

"Like how you wanted to ruin Firestar? That's why you wanted to get close to my family, right?" Hollyleaf grew defensive, though she was still crouched in guilt. She was _sorry _that she killed him. It ate at her every day, why couldn't he forgive her?

"I _loved _Squirrelflight. She didn't love me back." He swung around to the ginger she-cat. "You _played _with my_ heart. _You didn't care how it ruined my life or anything of my feelings. You were just trying to make _Brambleclaw _jealous."

"This isn't the place to discuss this, Ashfur." Squirrelflight mewed hotly, her tail thrashing. "Anyways, it wasn't _I _who went after _you. You _started courting _me _after I fought with Brambleclaw. All I wanted was a friend, and you seemed happy to fill that role. I didn't want anything more."

"Ashfur, you didn't come here to kick up old quarrels, did you? You came here for something else." Brambleclaw said pointedly, shooting a glance from Ashfur to Hollyleaf.

"Oh right," Ashfur's mood switched quickly back to respectful, completely untroubled by the argument he just had with Squirrelflight in front of all of StarClan. The black she-cat's hackles lifted slightly, wary of the sudden change. Though the toms' eyes were kindly, she sensed something broken about him. Something unnatural. She shivered as he touched her nose, and a life flowed into her, bitter and black as sludge. "Hollyleaf, I came here to give you a life of Revenge…" Shocked whispers filled the air around them; a negative trait was never given to any leader during a ceremony, not even to Tigerstar. "But…" He mewed, looking at the StarClan cats with an edge of contempt in his tone. "I figured that since you already had yours, it's my turn." Before any of the cats could react Ashfur spun and kicked Hollyleaf, still reeling from the life, to the ground. A swirl of ash almost hid him completely as he launched himself straight at Firestar, a snarl ripping across his features.

A single shooting star blinded everyone for seconds and then there was Spottedleaf, standing in front of him. Ashfur had aimed correctly, straight for the ginger leader's throat, but now there was a new obstacle in his way. A look of shock registered on the gray cat's face before it turned back into a mask of hatred and he ripped into the tortoiseshell's neck. She fell on her side, then scrambled to get to her paws as Ashfur landed on top of her, and began ripping into her again and again, a white-blue liquid steaming out onto the dead ground in a cloud. There was a sudden mess of activity, a few cries of horror and outrage, but Hollyleaf couldn't make out exactly what was going on. It ended with Firestar lying next to Spottedleaf as her pelt twitched shakily, Ashfur was snarling, but pinned under a muscular white tomcat.

"Spottedleaf," Firestar murmured quietly, and the she-cat breathed something in response, something that Hollyleaf didn't hear. She was too far away, and could only watch as her grandfather shoved his head into the old ThunderClan medicine cat's fur. She shuddered beneath him and went still, her tail tip flutter and went still. A low howl of mourning came from a dark gray she-cat with leopard-spot markings and a silvery one with blue eyes comforted her. Both cats looked pretty old- at least a couple generations back from the Lake. Another tortoiseshell tomcat also stood by the grieving she-cats, his red bushy tail flicking back and forth. StarClan itself seemed shocked, the cats that had formed the circle around Hollyleaf had scattered, she felt alone in this landscape as the cloud of ancestors thickened around the tortoiseshell's body.

"Hollyleaf," A voiced breathed in her ear, and she turned slowly to see the silhouette of a very familiar cat. "Fallen Leaves!" She mewed and turned, some happiness piercing the shock of what she had just witnessed. A few cats turned to give her a sharp glance as they mourned the passing of Spottedleaf, whose body began appearing, becoming solid. The StarClan cats didn't seem disturbed or surprised about this but grim as the cat slowly became more real, and as it happened, the cat's body seemed to sink through the ground, the stardust-and-mist landscape too light to hold a real death. A gray she-cat with bright blue eyes- Cinderhheart?!- stood next to Firestar, her head bowed with silent grief.

"Hollyleaf, look at me." Fallen Leaves whispered again, and the black she-cat turned and bumped her nose against the ginger spotted tom. His green eyes poured into hers, and the ThunderClan cat found she was unable to move. "Hollyleaf, with this life, I give you Sacrifice. Use it to do what is best for your Clan, even at the expense of yourself or your image." The power that rushed through her was bitter sweet, the idea of dying in battle, speaking up for a scared apprentice, going into the tunnels, even when he was not ready, to make his mother happy. Lying to Rock so that he could continue, and then perishing in the waters below the surface… "This was not a lesson that I heeded at the end of my life," the white cat mewed quietly as he broke the bond they had and looked down and away from her.

"Fallen Leaves, I hate to ask, but does your life count?" Hollyleaf doubted the power of The Ancient cats, even though Fall Leaves had talked her through seasons in the tunnels, and guided her back to the Clans when she had left StarClan's sights.

"I'm pretty sure that it counts," Fallen Leaves said, then chuckled lightly but immediately sobered. "Ashfur's did not. I am your ancestor, just from a different time. Thank you for your time with me, but I have a feeling we won't meet again." The white and ginger cat began to fade from Hollyleaf's sight, and she spun to face him. "Fallen Leaves, I'm never going to forget you. You'll live with me for as long as I live," she promised feverishly to the rapidly dissipating image of her best friend. "I will tell my children, my Clan about the cats that walked the tunnels, which lived here before we did, you will _not be forgotten._" She was smiling by the time she was done, and she watched Fallen Leaves nod slowly, a smile creeping across his features. But then the kind tomcat was gone, with nothing but a glimmer of stardust and one more life in Hollyleaf's leadership.

The other StarClan cats were still clustered around the spot that Spottedleaf fell. The white tom that had been holding Ashfur down had let him up, and was now accompanied by a few other broad-shouldered toms. Hollyleaf's resentment for the tom leapt up again at the sight of him, and she snarled nastily at his proud stance. She didn't know Spottedleaf at all, but she had defended Firestar, and the way her leader had looked at her spoke great lengths.

"Banish him!"

"No! Kill him!"

"Yes! Kill him so that he can't join the Dark Forest!"

The StarClan cats were in a riot, spitting at the gray tom that had betrayed them.

"Make way, make way!"

From out of the crowd, four figures stepped forward. Though they seemed as old as time itself, the stars in their pelts were bright and the details of their pelts seemed almost tangible. Hollyleaf could sense that she was in the presence of very old cats, and she was quite right. The massive ginger tom with white paws in the front was Thunder, the long-haired silvery tom beside him was River; behind them, a wiry brown she-cat named Wind, and a small, black she-cat named Shadow. These were the Ancients, the ones who started the Clans all the way back in the forest lands. They brushed through the groups of brightly lit, newer StarClan cats, making no sound at all as they approached Ashfur. The traitorous tom flinched away from the legendary cats, his blue eyes wide, as were most of the other cats. It seemed that the First cats didn't show themselves too often at all, not even in StarClan.

"What happened here," Wind spoke quietly, staring directly at Ashfur, though she didn't expect him to answer.

"Ashfur came here under the guise of giving the new ThunderClan leader a life. Then turned and killed Spottedleaf." A black tom growled, keeping his eyes on the gray cat in question before spitting at his feet.

The large orange tom, Thunder, nodded gravely. "There has been much killing today, but we hoped that the threat would not touch StarClan itself. Then the Dark Forest cats broke in through the spiritual boundaries, and we were at war. We do not need our own cats fighting against us though."He turned to his associates, orange eyes dark. "How could we not see this coming?"

"You forgot, when you allowed me to come here," Ashfur spat, though his voice wavered just a bit. "I tried to kill Firestar earlier, with the help of Hawkfrost. I thought you all fools for thinking that I was truly reformed and had abandoned my motives."

"Then it is clear," Shadow hissed, her dark eyes gleaming like the stars in her pelt. "The traitor has pleaded guilty. What is his punishment?" The cats around her hissed their own opinions, though no one would raise their voices above a whisper in fear of angering the First cats. "I vote death." River said bluntly, his normally silver tongue failing him as it seemed the answer needed no conviction.

Wind nodded her head in ascent as well, and though Thunder looked startled that his companions had voted so blatantly, and turned his massive head to look back at the brown she-cat, and next to him, the long-haired tom. "I vote banishment. To the Mist World."

Shadow inhaled sharply at his shoulder, and River shook his head. "That is too cruel for any cat."

Hollyleaf looked at Thunder, whose ears flickered back and forth. "The Mist World is a form of eternal torture for souls- they do not go to the Dark Forest, neither StarClan. They wander on- from what we can tell- an endless white plane until even their memory ceases to exist. There have only been a handful of cats that have been sent there; only for terrible crimes. Toms who force themselves onto kits. Leaders who turn their Clans into war machines, killing generations. Tigerstar should've been sent there, but… we had hopes that he would learn his lesson in the Dark Forest. But obviously anyone who could let their feelings of revenge fester, and then kill a member of StarClan themselves has committed a terrible crime… which is why I believe that this Ashfur should be sent there."

Shadow was slow to respond, but she eventually also nodded. "A crime is not equaled with another crime, even if it is the same. This is more humane…" She hesitated and didn't finish her sentence, just nodded. River looked like he was hedging now, as if he hadn't thought of the option before. "Maybe…"

"My Clan has wandered and been driven out multiple times, I know how cruel traveling alone can be." Wind mewed, her tail lashing.

"River… If you vote yes, that is majority." Thunder turned to the cat, who closed his eyes as if in pain. At last, he nodded his head and slowly twisted his ears back, as if he could block out the criticism that was surely going to come from Wind or anyone who supported her; but the air was dead with silence. No one spoke as Thunder rest his tail on Winds' shoulders and yet the wiry she-cat didn't look at him; though she didn't walk away openly, her head turned away.

Shadow stepped forward, her eyes glittering but emotionless as she stared at the guilty tomcat before her. She regarded him for a moment before murmuring quietly, "We banish you. You are not welcome here anymore. You will walk the empty paths of the nowhere land until your memory fades and your earthly bones turn to dust." And with that, the gray cat vanished with nothing left but a pile of dark ash in his stead. Shadow looked toward Hollyleaf, and the rest of StarClan that had appeared during the dark event, and nodded vaguely. "Carry on with your business."

The Founders of the four Clans leapt up into the sky, Wind still walking a bit away from the others. Once they were akin to the height of the treetops, River turned back to the crowd. "To me, StarClan! We fight for our holy grounds, and there will be much more sacrifice to come."

Hoards of starry cats leapt up past Hollyleaf, the amount of stardust falling gave the illusion of snow in the desiccated forest. When she turned and blinked, only one figure remained standing with her on the forest floor. Leaves crackled under his paws as he approached, and gently touched noses with the black cat.

"With this life, I give you Hope. Use it in the darkest times, when all seems lost and the future is bleak. Use it to bolster your Clan and make them into strong warriors." Brambleclaw meowed solemnly, his amber eyes shining gently with compassion. Hollyleaf barely felt the life rush into her through the fierce emotions of her adopted father. He believed that ThunderClan was strong, that they would survive this terrible battle. And she did too. He stepped away from her, but still regarded his daughter with the same kindness. "I hope that I was a good father. Even after you revealed the truth, it didn't stop me from loving you and your brothers."

Hollyleaf hesitated, and then pushed her nose into his shoulder. "I love you too, father." She mewed.

The tender moment was broken in heartbeats as a voice called the dark tabby away, into battle. Before he left, he looked straight at Hollyleaf with clear eyes. "This is the part where I'm supposed to tell you your old life no longer exists. But it does, and it affects you even now. I hail you by your new name, Hollystar. Live long and lead your Clan to the fullest of your extent." As her father leapt away into the air, it seemed that even the wind whispered her new name. Hollystar looked up as her father joined Squirrelflight, standing just above her with a small smile. Together, they shot off across the stars, leaving the newly-named leader alone in the clearing. With renewed energy, she leapt to her feet and flew through the forest until it blurred to darkness in her vision and she found herself waking up at the side of the Moon pool.

**A.N: Dawwww... Hollystar Brambleclaw moment! Anyway, I also made the next chapter tonight so I'll be letting that out momentarily, sorry for the wait!**


	12. Journey Home

**A.N: So, sorry about that. If anyone goes on my profile nowadays, they'll see that I had some... technology problems. Still did, SkyDrive is just... Satan. In disguise. For a writer. Ugh. Here. Take it. **

With renewed energy, she leapt to her feet and flew through the forest until it blurred to darkness in her vision and she found herself waking up at the side of the Moonpool.

Hollystar woke with a jolt, the taste of starlight still on her tongue. Her tail twitched as she stared into the once-dark waters, which were now tinged with pink with the rising sun over her head. The water seemed almost peaceful with the water splashing into the pool, glittering like diamonds while the ripples swung outward from the waterfall. Nearby a little stream carried the water down into a hole, that Hollystar knew led to the border stream between ThunderClan and WindClan border.

"Hollyleaf?" A voice called down to her, and she glanced up to a tabby face. One that was not from her home Clan.

"Hollystar," Came her brother's low voice as he too peered over the edge of the basin that contained the pool. "This is Sedgewhisker of WindClan. Seems that Onestar sent his queens- and kits- to the Moonpool for safety. Hopefully they can find some."

The new ThunderClan leader nodded, and stood up, pressing her shoulders down to the ground in a stretch and curling her tail over her back as she heard joints popping under her pelt. She felt whole and limber despite the wounds in her dark fur, and turned toward the slope that led back up to the rest of the world. It was already occupied by two queens and a number of kits who were scrambling with large dark eyes and clumsy paws on the smooth stone. They slid down to where Hollystar was waiting, and clustered around the she-cats paws, ignorant to the fact that she was not their mother. Their small bodies quivered with fear, and for a second, Hollystar remembered the time when she was a warrior and she didn't know whether to become a warrior or a queen; now she could understand that she could be both. The kits stirred something in her heart and she hoped she could survive to even have kits.

"Come here, Grasskit," One of the queens murmured, and all of the kits detached from Hollystar's legs and scrambled over to the other cats. The she-cats looked at her silently and then moved away from the trail, hiding in the shadows of the waterfall. Without hesitation, she then leapt up the path to her two warriors.

Lionblaze dipped his head to his sister, pride gleaming in his eyes. Thornclaw did the same, and then said "It's time to head back. It's almost dawn." He was right, the sky was lighting up slowly to the east, staining the lake pink and yellow. It would be a cheery, warm Greenleaf dawn if not for the quiet screaming the three cats could hear up on the bluffs of WindClan's territory that came from all the territories around the lake. Some would think that the light of the sun would diminish the power of the Dark Forest cats, yet they seemed to still fight on.

The small patrol stood highlighted against the lightening sky and stared down, feeling the wind ruffling their fur, bringing the scent of carnage and evil, if there was such a scent. "We should move," Thornclaw goaded again. So without another word they moved off through the long grasses, the smell of blood strengthening as they followed the river down toward the lake again.

There were trees close by when Lionblaze hissed and the three cats flattened themselves to the ground. He had seen, rather than scented, the dark cloud that seemed to be moving through the field opposite of them. "Hold on," he murmured, and slunk away into the grass. Thankfully, his golden pelt blended easily into the stalks of grass and heather, so the tom soon vanished from sight. Hollystar shrunk into the shadow of a sage bush to keep herself hidden while she and Thornclaw waited. Soon her brother returned, brow furrowed angrily. "They were talking, but I didn't recognize any though. They said that they knew that Onestar had told the queens to flee… they're going to scout the hills for them." Lionblaze spat angrily at the ground after his sentence. "There's only two though, we could take them," He offered darkly, claws sliding in and out of this paws.

Hollystar nodded, her ears pinned back to her head. Take them by surprise. Brambleclaw said that if they're dead warriors, you can only kill them by taking off their head or slitting their stomach open. Go for that." The two toms nodded tensely, and then the three slid into the long fronds. Soon they came upon the two Dark Forest cats, and split into a hunting patrol like-pattern. The black cat found this much like stalking in the forest, taking shelter in the dark dawn shadows and waiting silently as she looked for the telltale sign that her Clanmates were in position as well. The two cats were still, a tom licking a claw and a tabby talking quietly while trying to see over the plants. Apparently they hadn't been WindClan cats while alive. Soon a waver in the curtains of the heather behind one told Hollystar that one cat was in place, and a soft crunch confirmed the other. Unfortunately, the Dark Forest cats also heard the soft crunch, and both of their ears shot forward immediately.

"Did you hear something?" The silver tabby murmured, suspicious. She had been the one trying to crane her neck to see over the plants.

"Probably prey." A dark tom grunted, and continued to try and pull something from his claws, oblivious. "They actually have that here, despite what other cats say."

Hollystar crept forward and she could see the shadow of another cat doing the same opposite of her. It looked like Lionblaze, with his golden fur a bit lighter than the environment.

"Are you sure…?" The she-cat continued to question, and sniffed the air.

The heather in front of her waved and Thornclaw leapt out, perfectly blending with the striped shadows of the foliage. He dug his claws straight into the she-cat's throat and tore down to her chest, spilling black sludge everywhere. At the same time, Lionblaze leapt and caught the tom's scruff in his mouth, pulling his head back as the cat attempted to back away in surprise. The black she-cat then joined them and sunk her fangs into the tom's fur, feeling them meet resistance as she hit skin and then the bitter taste of the dead cat's blood. Her teeth met each other inside the cat's throat, and she backed away with a mouthful of dirty flesh. Her nose was clogged with blood and her muzzle was slick with it as well, yet it seemed that it hadn't been enough for the tom. He wriggled and spun from Lionblazes' jaws, liquid the consistency of mud dribbling in chunks from the dark hole in his neck. His snarl was bubbly and coarse as Hollystar jumped onto his back, dragging him away from her golden brother with all her might. The dark cat turned on her then, and she slashed blindly at his throat again, feeling her fur grow heavy once more. Her body braced to meet claws that never came as the tabby fell to the ground, gurgling as it went. The two siblings exchanged glances and sighed in relief, then turned to help Thornclaw.

Two bodies leaked poisonous blood into the heather after they were finished, and the three ThunderClan warrior panted before coming to an unspoken agreement. Lionblaze helped decapitate the she-cat with Thornclaw, also slitting open her stomach to cut the entrails as well. Hollystar went back over to the tabby tom and hacked away with her claws, gagging on the bile that threatened to make her choke. She repeated what the toms were doing as well, then stepped away and retched whatever was left in her stomach. Everything in the Warrior Code was about honoring your Clan while you lived. StarClan obviously didn't think they would need to tell the Clans that defiling the dead of their enemies was wrong as well. It was just so morally wrong that it made all three of the cats sick in their hearts and stomachs before continuing their journey back to ThunderClan territory.

Thornclaw leapt the stream, his strength failing him as he jumped, and so he ended up with his hindquarters in the water. Black and red seeped out of his tabby pelt as he struggled out of the cool water. Hollystar waded through, feeling the cuts on her flanks and chest sting as the clots of blood and gore in her fur washed away. Lionblaze didn't bother, and bounded across the stream without a second thought, the black stripes of Dark Forest blood in his fur making him look like a TigerClan warrior of the past.

As soon as the small patrol entered the woods, they were amazed by the still silence. Not a bird sounded, or a branch rustled; nature itself had stilled as spirits warred on its land. So it obviously surprised them when a soft hiss came from the bushes. It was quickly joined by another and another until the ThunderClan cats clustered together, thoroughly terrified.

"Wait," A younger voice murmured, almost intelligibly. "Hollyleaf?"

The black cat skimmed the silent forest around her and her Clanmates quickly. It took her a while to find Dovewing's fluffy grey face peeking out of a juniper bush, next to another silvery shape she assumed was Ivypool.

"Dovewing?" She questioned, unsure of her guess at the cat's identity.

"Oh for StarClan's sake," mewed a familiar voice as Jayfeather strolled out of a dark bramble bush, his blue eyes fixed on his sister. "Congratulations. We had to move the Clan. The Two-leg nest made them feel trapped, but we left the queens… Or, at least Poppyfrost and Ferncloud. Sorreltail and Brightheart chose to come with us."

The rest of the Clan crept out of their own hiding areas, most were covered in wounds and looked badly beaten. It was amazing some were still on their feet.

Murmurs of "Welcome back," greeted the new leader as she wove through them, leaving Lionblaze to talk with Jayfeather about the cats they had found while she looked for her new deputy. Sandstorm touched her shoulder warmly, though the old she-cat looked dazed. Blossomfall had her head hung in shame next to Cloudtail, who looked more black than white.

"Has any cat seen Bumblestripe?" She mewed quietly, assessing the small amount of her Clan in front of her. She was trying to block out the dark emotions when she noticed there were only around eleven present. From a Clan that had been stronger in numbers than almost all the other Clans, it was heart wrenching to notice these small things. The cat that she had originally believed was Ivypool was really Whitewing, and most of the cats she had grown up with were dead. An entire generation wiped out in merely one night.

"He was with Dovewing last time I saw him," Jayfeather mewed, and no cat commented on the tom's lack of sight; they all knew that the medicine cat was just as sharp as any other cat.

Hollystar mewed a quick thank you and separated from her shattered Clan, leaving Thornclaw and Lionblaze to discuss the idea of leading the kits and queens to the Moonpool like WindClan had. Instead, she began peering behind bushes and circling steadily outward in search of her Clanmates. Eventually it was the scrap of grey-speckled fur that caught her attention among a clump of ferns, and she hissed quietly as not to startle the two cats.

Bumblestripe turned first, his amber eyes glowing as he sat up, though Dovewing stayed in her crouched position, ears turning quickly back and forth. "Welcome back, Hollystar." He greeted warmly, but in a hushed tone. "I say these words before StarClan and all the spirits of our fallen kin tonight so that they may hear and approve my choice," Hollystar murmured quickly, paws working the ground. "Bumblestripe, I have never been more certain that I wanted you to be the deputy of ThunderClan. You're strong and agile, you have your Clanmate's respect and you do not hide from the responsibility of a warrior."

The dusty warrior looked stunned and blinked a couple of times. Then he dipped his head to lick the black she-cat's shoulder. "I am deeply honored, Hollystar. I'll serve you as long as I can." His grave tone made them both shiver.

A soft, distant congratulations came from Dovewing, turning both of the cats attention back to her. Hollystar surveyed the silvery she-cat, then turned to Bumblestripe with an unspoken question. "We had a plan, see, not all of the cats got out of the camp," The deputy started, whiskers twitching with excitement.

The leader nodded solemnly, thinking of all the cats that she wouldn't see anymore. "Many of them left for StarClan, yes,"

His tail flicked back and forth with the same excitement, which seemed extremely out of place. "No, when we vacated the camp, Mapleshade seems to have taken some of our cats prisoner. They're still alive! Dovewing can hear them."

Hollystar's fur bristled after a brief moment of digesting the news. "How many cats? Can you tell?" she rounded to Dovewing, who was still motionless save for the flickering of her ears.

"At least nine warriors. Ivypool is down there; so are Berrynose and Rosepetal." For the first time since Hollystar approached, the she-cat moved, fixing her with an intense gaze. "We need to go back and save them."

**A.N: Yea, so there's not too many cats left from ThunderClan, what do you guys think? I've already decided but it's fun to see what you guys think anyways! Had to clear up some stuff in this chapter, very VERY filler, so sorry. More action in the next one ^^' Promise. Pinky Promise 3**


	13. Family in Peril

**A.N: Hello again, to all my friends :) I know I'm not the most "attentive" and "organized" author on Fanfiction but I do hope that you all enjoy this story at least. Summer is coming! Ya! That means more updates and hopefully some improved writing! (Taking AP English next year, let's get it _on_!)**

**By the way, do you support DoveXBumble or IvyXBumble? Your choice, I'm neutral on this, so it's up to you guys ;) Feel free to leave your opinion. **

_For the first time since Hollystar approached, the she-cat moved, fixing her with an intense gaze. "We need to go back and save them."_

Dovewing waited with her breath caught in her throat. She could hear the hopeless screams of agony and fear from her Clanmates. Hollystar couldn't hear it, but it was driving the younger she-cat mad with the need to act. The pain that was being caused... because she couldn't use her powers right. Because StarClan had fallen to darkness and no one could have had more hope in their ancestors than she. But it seemed that even the starry cats could fail, and the mortals could be left to their own to fight.

"No." Hollystar stated after a heartbeat of silence. "Well, maybe." Bumblestripe looked at her, equally tense as Dovewing's rigid body. "I don't want to risk any more cats' lives." The black cat clarified doubtfully now, with the two sets of eyes on her.

"Come on Hollystar, we could get almost half the Clan back. We only need to distract the Dark Forest cats for long enough so they can get out." The deputy goaded, and Dovewing could see the need to act in his shoulders as the muscles clenched and relaxed. Just like her.

Sending her senses back down to the camp, Dovewing could see the sheer numbers of Dark Forest cats in the clearing. They crowded the shadows and brought the scent of death on all of them. Decapitated bodies of her Clanmates lined the clearing with sickening care, and she was happy that most were unrecognizable through the sheer amount of blood. It was sickening and she could feel her body shake with convulsions but she continued focusing on the scene in front of her. The tabby pelts of Bumblestripe's siblings stood in front, and Daisy's cream children huddled behind. the elders trembling in the center of the warriors, sheltering among themselves Molepaw. And on the pasty, black clearing floor, laid her sister, with her silver fur stained crimson and her body laced with multiple wounds. Ghostly cats surrounded her, digging their claws into her fur languidly, licking it off their dusky fur. She had never heard Ivypool scream, beg or cry like she was then; it was a relief that Dovewing could not be physically present to it.

"Please!" Please stop!" The she-cat's voice started as a murmur and rose to a screech before Bumblestripe could cover her mouth by throwing her muzzle into his shoulder. Dovewing's voice lowered to a quiet wail at the familiar scent of the gray tomcat. She nuzzled into it like a lost kit and cried quietly, before he slipped away and Hollystar allowed the traumatized she-cat to rest her head as well. Really, the scent of her cousin was somewhat just as calming. When she had come back to her senses, she stared up into the green eyes of her leader, pleading silently.

"Dovewing, where are they; what's going on?" Hollystar murmured quietly, stroking the younger cat's back with her tail.

"Please don't make me look, please," She implored, whiskers quivering with fear at the visions that she had experienced. "In the camp, where the ground is hard- hard as rock- with the blood of our kin. Elders and warriors and apprentices. Oh Hollystar, what is the Clan if we don't honor our weakest members?"

She looked at the downy soft cat, eyes dark with confusion as she attempted to make a decision. Bumblestripe looked on worriedly as well, waiting for the new leader. Dovewing closed her eyes, every hair on her pelt tingling as she waited for the words that would decide everything.

"StarClan... why do you test me," Hollystar groaned in agony, then blinked open her eyes, staring at Bumblestripe. "Gather the Warriors. We shall strike at midday, when their power is weakest." The gray cat gasped in a ragged breath and licked Hollystar's shoulder in gratitude, listening to her sister's mourning cries that already seemed to be weakening. "I want to go," She heaved, blue eyes wetting uncontrollably again.

Hollystar cynically glanced at the she-cat, seemingly already preparing for the battle to come. "Will you be okay, to face these cats and to fight? I know you didn't take much damage during the first fight, but this will be very different. The Clan needs all its members; if I tell you to retreat, will you?"

"Will you take my sister?" She hissed desperately, pupils enlarging as a product of her fear. "I will not leave without Ivypool."

The leader's ears lowered slightly- whether in agitation or disconsolation Dovewing was unsure- before answering. "We cannot lose you, no matter what. I need to know that you will follow my orders."

The gray she-cat whimpered as she understood the meaning in Hollystar's words. If it came to it, she would need to choose her Clan over her kin- and already she was having a hard time. "Tell me your answer when we head out," Hollystar conceded, sparing her a forlorn glance before heading after her deputy. Dovewing was left in the little patch of ferns alone, staring after the two cats with her shoulders hunched. Slowly her emotions calmed and she breathed deeply, blocking out the agonized sobs from her sister. She felt a wince of guilt at this, but she needed to help the Clan, so that there would be no chance of leaving any cat behind. No chance that she would need to choose between her family and her kin.

And so she sent out her senses among the woods that used to be her home, but were now crowded with shadows. Most of the woods were quiet as the sun was rising, almost too quiet- there was no birdsong in the air, no scampering of small creatures. Small saplings hung over like exhausted cats, and even some of the larger trees had dark veins scrambling upward, poisoning. The Dark Forest cats were literally sucking all the life of the forest, as if their dead spirits were invading the living world. 'There' She focused on a spot of haze in the middle of a familiar rabbit path. The air whirled and shimmered in a familiar pattern, like the heat rising off the Thunderpath and distorting all images slightly above it. Even from her place by the eastern side of the territory, almost at the ShadowClan border, she could hear a slight buzzing come off it; a high pitched whine that almost hurt her ears.

'What?' She thought, letting the picture- and it's nature- clarify in her mind as she closed her eyes. Whenever she had looked into the Dark Forest with her mind, she had experienced a dank and foul odor in the back of her throat, like taking a deep whiff of crow food. Now, when she delved into this odd illusion, she received the same flavor, the same darkness. 'Is this...' Her thoughts formed slowly, attempting to make sense of what was in front of it. But instead of continuing her thought, she sent her senses into the haze. Instantly she was assaulted by a disorienting amount of sickness in her mind, and had she not been sitting, she would've toppled over. But suddenly it was as if the sickness cleared and she saw a shadowy clearing, clouds obscuring the sky until there were no moon, stars or anything that made clear StarClan's presence. 'A... Passage? To the spectral world?' She had no word for what she saw, nor what she had just used to come into the world beyond life.

Quickly she pulled her senses back, snapping her eyes open to see the clearing. Blue eyes wide to the physical world around her again, she puzzled over her finding. Within another few seconds, she had spread her senses over the territory again, locating only a few of these spots. She had no clue what to do about them, but knew it was important that she tell Hollystar. Somehow it was important, but there was nothing the cats could do about these odd specter passages.

"Dovewing," Her mother called, and her white form appearing out of the early morning shadows that surrounded the clearing. "Hollystar has requested your presence as she plans for the attack." She revealed, approaching her fairly young daughter and touching noses with her. "There is no more need of secrets, what remains of the Clan know of the Three, and how StarClan..." She cleared her throat, whiskers twitching nervously as she discussed the religious matter, "… were wrong about the Clans, the prophecies... I do not want to believe that we are on our own, yet with the Dark Forest cats so close I can only wonder what our ancestors are doing to help."

The two she-cats ducked under a strand of bramble and passed by a clump of fragrant herbs.

"Mother, if you know of my powers, then you know that I can hear, and see much farther than other cats. In fact, I can see right into the Dark Forest." The gray cat revealed, watching her mother's startled glance.

"You truly have impressive power then, my daughter," Though Whitewing's voice was neutral, it was obvious that she was unnerved by the sheer amount her daughter possessed.

"I can see into StarClan too, though it is hard to go beyond this world, to go beyond the Lake even. It's a skill I need to train, just as hunting and stalking," The cat watched her paws and spoke quietly, though she stilled brushed up against her mother as they walked together. "I can assure you that our ancestors truly are helping; they too are under attack though, and must protect the skies." She looked up into the matching blue eyes of her kin "What are the Clans without our belief to bind us? They are right to keep themselves safe first." Whitewing nodded, and the conversation ended in an uneasy silence as they arrived at the broken Two-leg den.

"They're up there." Whitewing pointed with her tail toward a shadowy slope that had periodical indents in it. The wood it was made of was rotten and had a few holes in it, but it seemed stable enough.

Dovewing launched herself up before turning back to her mother, all too aware of the glowing eyes in the murkiness below. "Aren't you coming too?" she asked quietly, flinching as the sound echoed unnaturally in the closed space.

"She only wanted you and a few others. Someone needs to be on lookout while the other warriors are recovering their strength; I wasn't hurt that badly." Dovewing could see the hurt in her blue eyes, but the older she-cat shrugged off her emotion and walked away without another word. The gray she-cat was left, quite lonely and stunned on the odd Two-leg structure. In a few heartbeats, she slowly turned and leapt up the last amount of stairs, feeling the strength in her legs push her up almost soundlessly.

At the top of the slope, dust motes greeted her airily, swirling about her ears and sticking to the fringes of her coat, shimmering with the sunshine streaming through a gap in the ceiling. Other than the single bright ray of light, the level was dark and just as quiet as the lower one; because of this, it surprised the young cat when Hollstar appeared out of the shadows, eyes glowing an iridescent color as they took in as much light as they could. The effect was unnerving, but as the graceful she-cat walked past her, other cats rustled in the dark and followed the dark leader, Bumblestripe's gray coat equally camouflaged in the darkness. Then Sandstorm and Thornclaw along with Cinderheart, Jayfeather and Lionblaze. No wonder the lower level was so quiet, it seemed as if half of the surviving Clan was here.

Dovewing adjusted to the dingy area quickly, pupils widening as Hollystar's had as she took her place in a rapidly forming circle, Hollystar sitting in the center. The black cat had her back to Dovewing, but she felt no less important as the new leader began speaking quietly, though powerfully.

"I know that many of you have noticed that a lot of our Clanmates are missing. I plan to do something about that, don't worry. But for anyone who was missing earlier, Jayfeather had something to confess."

She nodded to her brother, who, though blind, still took the cue in step. "Yes, StarClan came to Firestar in a dream many moons ago, giving the prophecy, 'There will be three, kin of your kin that hold the power of the stars in their paws.' And then just recently, before the battle, I received a dream from them as well, 'The end of the stars draws near. Three must become Four to battle the darkness that lasts forever.' We-Lionblaze, Dovewing and I- are the three. We believed that Firestar was the fourth cat before he was... before he died. Lionblaze cannot be harmed in battle, I can see into the minds and dreams of other cats, and Dovewing can hear farther than anycat. All the way into the Dark Forest or StarClan, in fact." The light tabby nodded, blind eyes focused on Hollystar. The siblings seemed to communicate and suddenly Hollystar sighed, and nodded. "If you want this, Jayfeather. But some things are better left hidden.

When I visited StarClan, Firestar revealed a secret to me- StarClan could not see this future coming. They cannot help us now, and even their chosen cats- the Three- are not enough to stand against the Dark Forest. Though Dovewing's powers still work against these cats, Jayfeather cannot sense them, and Lionblaze can be slashed by their claws. It seems that not even the power of the stars is strong enough to fight against this darkness." The leader confessed, tail collecting dust to fling into the air, creating mesmerizing and minute patterns.

The cats in the circle seemed to digest the information slowly, and finally Sandstorm flicked her ears and Hollystar nodded to the elderly she-cat. "We have faced many threats on our own skill- the Great Journey, the Dog Pack back in the forest, even settling at the lake. These cats have proven that they can be killed, as any other. StarClan may be unable to give us their own power, but we have the code they instilled in us since the beginning- the Warrior code. As long as we all fight with honor and know in our hearts that we are defending our Clan, there is nothing we can't achieve."

Dovewing blinked proudly at her kin; though the sandy she-cat was old, and there was silver tinging the edges of the fur on her scruff and face, she continued to uphold the fighting spirit of a true warrior.

Hollstar seemed equally as pleased, and smiled slightly before the somber mood closed in again. "So with this knowledge, I'd like you to try and rescue the cats that Dovewing has claimed are being held in our camp." There were murmurs of surprise from the crowd, and some flashed anxious glances at each other. "I know that this is not a big patrol, but I'm not asking you to kill all of the warriors- just to rescue our own. I cannot risk more than a small force in order to keep ThunderClan alive. As we speak, I have sent Cloudtail to WindClan and Whitewing to ShadowClan to rally their forces."

Dovewing blinked in astonishment. Her mother had lied to her! She was going on a potentially deadly mission and had refused to tell her daughter. Was that why...? Dovewing pictured her mother's sad blue eyes before she had vanished outside the decaying nest. Had she thought that Dovewing couldn't handle a goodbye? That she would try to save her? The danger that was now apparent to the entirety of her family made her stomach drop with terror.

"We will be meeting them at the Gathering island as soon as our cats get back to us," Hollystar continued, now standing and pacing back and forth, turning to face each side of the circle. "This is our last resort." She calmly stared around at all the cats, meeting their eyes as she turned. "I will need to stay here, and for that I grieve deeply. But if the scouts get back before you have completed your assignment, I will come retrieve you to the best of my ability. We may need to leave without some of our Clanmates. I'm so sorry." Her green eyes obviously showed that fact, and Dovewing could only imagine the pain that was going through the cat in order to make that decision- protect the existence of her Clan or save their friends and family.

"One of you will lead this mission, one that Bumblestripe and I both agree should." With a apologetic nod to her deputy, the black she-cat turned straight to Dovewing. "You will lead the patrol to rescue our Clanmates, Dovewing. We have until Sunhigh."

**A.N: So... Let's see... aw crap, actually nobody asked for a Dovewing- narrated chapter ^^' Sorry guys! Okay, I'll do Lionblaze next chapter, excuse me while I hop around inside everyone's heads to see who I'll stick with for the rest of the story. **

**So yea, DoveXTiger? DoveXBumble? DoveXThorn? (Never heard that one but..) You guys decide! **

**And, I feel like I haven't done enough of this but, oh my God, you are amazing. Yes, you. Staring at this computer/phone/iTouch screen, I am talking to you. Thank you for making this story so successful, because thanks to you this story had 116 visitors last month, 419 views and 36 reviews, all multi-cultural. :') Thank you so much.**


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